Gaza's Lingering Desolation: Insights from the Financial Times
The Financial Times has chronicled the devastation wrought by the recent Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, a conflict verging on three months of relentless bombardment, resulting in the martyrdom of over 22,185 Palestinians and injuries to another 57,035, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The British newspaper highlighted the experiences of Gazans as conveyed by Palestinian businessman Faisal Shawa, ranging from the post-Oslo phase with hopeful prospects for a sustainable settlement to the decades-long conflict, through the governance of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the enclave amid a siege lasting approximately 17 years, and culminating in the current war which has seen the loss of his investments in factories, farms, construction, and agriculture.
Pervasive Suffering
Shawa points out that every resident of Gaza, whether rich or poor, young or old, endures the consequences of the Israeli air, land, and sea offensive on the Strip. Nearly every family has lost a relative or friend, and all semblances of normal life have been destroyed. There is a prevalent fear among the populace that there may be nothing left to return to post-war, with many believing that Israel's ultimate aim is to render the Gaza Strip uninhabitable and force its inhabitants to forsake their homeland.
"They want to make Gaza uninhabitable. Even if we were allowed to return tomorrow, how would we live? They are destroying our homes, our investments, our factories, our trees, our infrastructure, everything," Shawa lamented to the Financial Times.
In a recent radio talk with the Israeli Army Radio, the Israeli Minister of Finance, known for his extreme right-wing stance, Bezalel Smotrich suggested leaving between 100,000 to 200,000 Arabs (Palestinians) in the Gaza Strip, advocating for the relocation of the rest.
Although his comments do not reflect official policy, as noted by the British newspaper, many Gaza residents believe Israel aims to push them southward into Egypt. In the early weeks of the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government attempted to persuade European leaders to pressure Cairo to accept refugees from Gaza.
Egypt, however, refused to accept the forced displacement of Gazans into its territory. Nevertheless, the fears persist, with Palestinians concerned about a repetition of the 1948 Nakba when around 700,000 were displaced following the war involving the newly established state of Israel.
Approximately 1.7 million Gazans descend from families that fled their homes 75 years ago and have been classified as refugees by the United Nations.
Azmi Keshawi, a researcher with the International Crisis Group in Gaza, shared with the Financial Times, "People are thinking, when will this end? Will we return? Will they push us to Sinai?"
The Israeli assault compelled more than 85% of the 2.3 million residents to evacuate their homes, pushing them into increasingly crowded areas in the south. They sought shelter with whatever belongings they could carry in densely packed residential buildings, schools, hospitals, UN facilities, and tents.
The United Nations reports that one-fourth of the population is on the brink of starvation. Long queues for bread or use of restrooms are common, and many are uncertain if their homes are still standing.
Decimation of the University
For the younger demographic, Mahmoud Rustum, an information technology student in his third year at the Islamic University of Gaza, told the Financial Times that the Israeli military destroyed his university, which he hoped to graduate from, alleging it to be a training camp for military intelligence agents and a site for developing and producing weapons.
Gazans are no strangers to picking up the pieces of their lives amid the ruins, the Financial Times observed. A fleeting moment of hope following the Oslo Accords collapsed with the peace process's failure and the eruption of the Second Intifada in 2000. A significant portion of Gaza's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, Gazans were barred from working in Israel and the settlements, severe restrictions on the movement of goods to the Strip were imposed, and any notions of a Palestinian state were quashed.
Despite Israel's complete withdrawal from the area in 2005, control over Gaza’s airspace and borders was retained, except for a 12-kilometer stretch on the frontier with Egypt, as Hamas gained control over the Strip.
Between 2006 and 2022, Gaza's real per capita GDP shrank by 27%, dropping to $1,257, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). When the latest war broke out, over three-quarters of the population were reliant on international aid, with unemployment rates hovering around 44%.
The UN estimates that over 60% of the housing units in the Strip have been either damaged or destroyed, alongside hundreds of schools, dozens of mosques, roads, bakeries, shops, and thousands of other businesses. Moreover, more than half of Gaza's hospitals are no longer operational.
Health System in Crisis
The health system in Gaza, Palestinian British surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta who has worked in the area points out, has been systematically dismantled. "Look how the hospitals were taken down one after another. Will Israel allow reconstruction materials into Gaza? This goes beyond the Palestinians; it requires international participation," he remarked.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, described the situation in Gaza as "a war beyond all measures… The level of destruction is staggering."
Government services, except for healthcare and emergency workers, are virtually nonexistent with the displacement of public employees fearing they could be targeted.
Financial Times anticipates that the cost of reconstruction will run into billions of dollars. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the relatively limited 2014 war caused damages between $3 to $6 billion.
Mkhaimar Abu Saada, an associate professor of political science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, compares the destruction to German cities following World War II, stating that Gaza now requires rebuilding from scratch. He suggests that Gaza needs a Marshall Plan of its own, but it remains uncertain who will fund it.
Discussing potential financiers, an Arab diplomat suggested to the Financial Times that oil-rich Gulf states could assist in financing Gaza's post-war rebuilding efforts. However, they would likely hesitate to invest without a clear vision of the post-war situation and a genuine prospect for a two-state solution.
Meanwhile, the extensive damage in Gaza has altered the general mood among Israel's Western allies, as reported by the Financial Times. Even US President Joe Biden, one of its staunchest supporters, criticized last month's "indiscriminate bombing." France pushed for a humanitarian ceasefire, while the United Kingdom and Germany called for "a sustainable ceasefire leading to lasting peace."
Israeli officials made it clear that international pressure would not deter Tel Aviv from pursuing its goals, including securing the release of Israeli hostages, destroying Hamas's military capabilities, and capturing or killing its top leaders. The Israeli Prime Minister warned that reconstruction would only proceed once the Strip is demilitarized and "the Palestinian society begins rooting out extremism."
Many doubt the complete defeat of Hamas, with Abu Saada declaring, "Hamas did not and will not surrender." However, he believes the war will further shrink the middle class and exacerbate poverty.
A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research revealed a significant rise in support for Hamas in the West Bank and a slight uptick in support within Gaza compared to three months prior. In both territories, Hamas enjoys much higher approval rates than the Palestinian Liberation Organization (Fatah).
