The Long War on Gaza
Palestinians in Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, conducting search and rescue operations in the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, December 14, 2023
The humanitarian and political crisis in Gaza has deep historical roots. In an essay published in The New York Review of Books, Sara Roy examines how more than five decades of occupation and conflict have steadily dismantled Gaza’s economy, infrastructure, and social fabric.
From Functional to Dysfunctional Economy
Roy argues that since Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip in 1967, the territory has been transformed from a politically and economically integrated region into an isolated enclave. Once functioning as part of a broader economy, Gaza has steadily shifted into dependence, with high levels of poverty and unemployment. What was a productive society has become, over time, a population reliant on humanitarian aid for basic survival.
Current Conflict and Displacement Concerns
The latest war, which escalated after Hamas’s October 2023 attack in southern Israel, has killed more than 19,400 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis. While Israel has stated that its objective is to destroy Hamas, critics suggest that the broader aim may be the permanent displacement of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. Roy cites reports of an Israeli intelligence “concept paper” proposing the transfer of Gaza’s population to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, as well as subsequent inquiries and public statements pointing in that direction.
Everyday Struggles
The devastation in Gaza is not only defined by bombs and airstrikes but also by daily hardships. Accessing water, electricity, education, medical care, and food has long been fraught with obstacles. Infrastructural collapse and environmental degradation—including water contamination and soil damage—have compounded the suffering. According to Roy, these pressures have been immense, constant, and deliberately sustained, producing long-term impoverishment.
Long Aftermaths
The article places current events within a continuum of policies and actions that have reshaped Gaza over 56 years. The conclusion points to a transformation not only of the economy and infrastructure but also of the political status of its people—from a population with national claims to one struggling primarily for humanitarian survival.
Read the full article here: The Long War on Gaza.