In focus: The effects of Israel’s tightened blockade on the economic and humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip

Prior to the start of the 11-day escalation in hostilities in May 2021, over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza were already under the Israeli government’s land, sea, and air blockade—a comprehensive closure amounting to a 14-year unlawful collective punishment under international law. The closure, rooted in severe restrictions on the freedom of movement of both people and goods, undermines all aspects of life in Gaza and results in a protracted humanitarian catastrophe. Through the policy, residents of Gaza are denied the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms and forced into profound levels of poverty, aid dependency, food insecurity, and unemployment. The construction, industrial and agricultural sectors are dramatically undermined and essential services, including education, health, WASH, environmental and electricity services, are collapsing. The energy sector has been the most affected as a result of Israel’s systematic targeting of electricity networks and the protracted and repeated ban on the entry of fuel, with devastating effects on the implementation of all related services and activities in the Gaza Strip...