People are returning to Gaza.
After two years of war in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages started from Monday. In the initial phase, first 7 and then 13 hostages were released. Many hostages are still imprisoned in Gaza. Most of these are those who were abducted during the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. After this release, Israel will now release 2 thousand Palestinian prisoners. This place has once again come into limelight due to the Gaza Peace Programme.
Gaza is a city in Palestine which is home to about 21 lakh people, but after the recent war, a large number of people migrated from here. Now after the changing circumstances, people are returning.
What is the means of earning?
The biggest pillar of Gaza’s economy is agriculture. The people here have been earning through farming and to some extent small scale manufacturing. Citrus fruits, olives, strawberries, dates and flowers have been cultivated in Gaza, although their production has declined due to water pollution, population pressure and recurring military conflicts. Gaza exports most of the things to European countries.
The state of poverty in Gaza is such that it has become dependent on foreign aid. Photo: AP/PTI
Along with farming, textiles, food processing, furniture, pottery, and construction materials are also produced in Gaza. However, some time ago Israel imposed a ban on the import of raw materials. After this the manufacturing units here were badly affected. As a result, factories were closed. The economic conditions of the people kept worsening. Poverty here is at its worst in the last two years.
Picture of Gaza after Israeli attacks. Photo: AP/PTI
How did the situation in Gaza go from bad to worse?
Historically, a large portion of Gaza’s income came from Palestinians working in Israel. However, due to Israeli border policies, access to Gaza workers has been restricted since 2005. In October 2023, Israel canceled all work permits for Gazans. Therefore the situation worsened.
Struggling with poverty and attacks, the situation in Gaza worsened day by day. This is why Gaza’s economy has been heavily dependent on international aid from many sources, including the United Nations (UN), the European Union, and the United States. Before 2023, about 80% of Gazans were dependent on international aid. The level of assistance has fluctuated over the years. Now the situation has worsened further.
Gaza was captured by the kings of different sultanates.
Gaza remains a battlefield
The history of Gaza is very old. It was established in 3000 BC. It is mentioned in ancient Egyptian writings. It has been claimed that this area was settled in Tell Alsakan. Its name did not change for several thousand years. It has always been greatly influenced by the neighboring country Egypt. It continued to serve as a route to Asia, but gradually it began to fall into disrepute.
Here, Pharaoh Tuthmosis Third of the Egyptian Empire, King David, who imposed Jewish rule, even Alexander of Macedon massacred and captured them.Gradually it became a major center of trade between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Jews started raising their voice and after Alexander, Gaza was again captured by the Jews. Then the Ottoman Empire came under occupation and Britain acquired Gaza from them. After this the Israel-Arab conflict started.
Confined in Gaza after the Oslo Accords in 1948 Administration passed to the Palestinian Authority. In 2007, Hamas completely captured Gaza. Since then Gaza is under the control of Hamas. Israel and Egypt control the borders of Gaza. Israel-Hamas wars took place here in 2008, 2014, 2021 and 2023-24, which caused massive destruction. The desire to capture Gaza created destruction here which continues even today. Now it is expected that the situation will become normal.
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