Why did Israel blockade Gaza?

Answer 1

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not think it was worthwhile to use a large number of soldiers to protect 8,000 Israeli Settlers in a region with 1.5 million Palestinians. The calculus was too high.

Answer 2

Israeli Answer

Because the ruling political entity in Gaza exists on a formal, official, public policy that denies its neighbor's right to exist as a nation, states its ultimate objective to destroy its neighbor, and persists in the pesky habit of launching unguided rockets in the general direction of its neighbor's civilian population centers whenever it can get enough materials to build the rockets. The "blockade" intercepts incoming cargo, inspects it, removes items that could be used to further this official policy and these pesky habits, and ships the balance on into Gaza, often in Israeli trucks.

Palestinian Answer

Israel has decided to use the minimal damage inflict by those rightfully resisting occupation as an impetus to prevent the Palestinian people from accessing sufficient raw materials, foods, and fuels. This has been done to prevent Palestinians from attaining self-sufficiency and the capability to govern themselves. The blockade also regulates incoming aid and removing financial donations and any resources in quantities Israel would prefer that the Gazans not have. It is a mechanism to enforce the occupation of Palestine.

Answer 3

According to Israel, self-defense is the reason for attacking the Gaza Strip and

killing over 1,400 Palestinians most of whom are women, children and civilians.

Only 13 Israelis were killed during the attack on Gaza according to Israeli sources.

(Why, the nerve of those uppity Jews ! Taking precautions and refusing to die in sufficient numbers.

You never can trust them.) One of the main goals of the attack was to stop rocket attacks

from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel. Despite large destruction and high number

of human casualties on the Palestinian side, Israel failed to achieve this objective

as Palestinian resistance is still able to launch rockets into southern Israel.

(And before long, those fools will do just that. You'll see.)

This recent article from Al Jazeera, with a link below, can provide more information if

you are interested.

Answer 4

1) Gaza is under military occupation. Article 42 of the Hague Regulations stipulates, a "territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army," and that the occupation extends "to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised." Similarly, in the Hostage Case, the Nuremberg Tribunal held that, "the test for application of the legal regime of occupation is not whether the occupying power fails to exercise effective control over the territory, but whether it has the ability to exercise such power."

Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, like those in the West Bank, continue to be subject to Israeli control. For example, Israel controls Gaza's air space, territorial waters, and all border crossings. Palestinians in Gaza require Israel's consent to travel to and from Gaza, to take their goods to Palestinian and foreign markets, to acquire food and medicine, and to access water and electricity. Without Israel's permission, the Palestinian Authority (PA) cannot perform such basic functions of government as providing social, health, security and utility services, developing the Palestinian economy and allocating resources.

The government in the Gaza Strip is administered by Hamas, after it expelled the PLO

by force. Hamas formally, publicly, and in writing proclaims its intention and objective

to pursue the destruction of Israel, and imports weapons at every opportunity. Any

government that failed to take the necessary measures to protect its citizens in the

face of such overt hostility on its border would be unfit to govern.

2) Terrorists or freedom fighters depending on your point of view continue to resist the Israeli occupation with rocket attacks. The reality is the rockets contain no warhead and no guidance system. It can argued that the rockets are nothing more than a large firework with no powder. The mortality rate from rocket attacks since 2001 in Israel is 0.002% .

From an Israeli perspective, the idea that any country should tolerate a daily volleying of rockets into its community is seen as ridiculous. The fact that they have not resulted in more deaths is more a commentary on how weak the weapons are, how lightly the regions attacked are populated, and how effective the Israeli warning system is. Furthermore, while these rockets do not contain a warhead, they do contain explosives and their intent is to kill Israelis not to be used for peaceful celebration (as is connoted by the word "fireworks".)

3) In January of 2009, Israel responded to the persistent rocket attacks and broke the official armistice with Hamas by launching Operation Cast Lead. This was a massive military offensive against a civilian population. It banned foreign press from entering Gaza. It used white phosphorus (a chemical weapon) on UN sanctioned hospitals and schools (a war crime). Within 23 days the death toll had reached 1,284 Palestinians dead, 6 IDF by enemy fire and 3 IDF by friendly fire. When the operation had finished Israel had claimed more land from the Gaza strip in the name of security zones for their protection.

Since international standards of 'legal' warfare are being introduced, it's worth including

the old saw from the Geneva conventions that expressly includes civilian installations

among legitimate targets, when such civilian facilities are used as shields from which to

launch attacks, as they were for rocket launchers.

The piteous, sympathy-provoking numbers listed in Item-3 above are accurately quoted

from reports announced day after day during the operation, by all of the proper, official

agencies of Hamas, in Gaza. The numbers have been thoroughly discredited since that

time, by UN investigators, journalists, and human rights organizations. Civilian casualties

were consistently inflated, and the number of casualties among armed combatants was

consistently under-reported. Hamas also consistently under-reported the number of IDF

casualties, as if it had a means of counting them, to point out to the world, again, that

the Israeli oppressors were being totally uncooperative and refusing to die in sufficient

numbers.

The following links detail some of the incidents that took place during 2009.

Answer 2.

Since 1948 to 1967 Gaza strip was occupied by Egypt and Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem ( what some people out of ignorance call "West bank") were occupied by Jordan. In 20 years neither Egypt nor Jordan moved a finger to create any "palestinian State", and what is curious: it did not even occur to Arabs who lived in Gaza , Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem to demand it.

In 1967 Arabs attacked Israel again. In six days Israel totally defeated the armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordan( that is why this war is often referred to as the Six-Day war) - and liberated the historical Jewish land of Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. As Egypt refused to accept the responsibility for Gaza, Israel had to figure as the Occupying Power, although Israel from the start offered Gaza to Egypt. This situation continued until 2005, when Israel in a unilateral move withdrew from Gaza.

Since then, there is not a single Israeli citizen there, neither military nor civilian, so any declarations that Gaza is "under occupation" are absolutely groundless and no Hague Regulations can be applied to the situation in Gaza.

Gaza is currently ruled by the Islamic terrorist group called Hamas that since 2006 to 2009 were continuously launching rockets and mortar shells on the cities situated in the South of Israel. The total number of rockets launched by Hamas terrorists from Gaza on Israeli civilians since 2006 to 2009 exceeded 6,000, which made Israel first establish the naval blockade of Gaza and then launch the anti-terrorist operation "Cast lead". In the course of the anti-terrorist operation, Hamas suffered a heavy blow and until 2011 was relatively quiet. However, in 2011, with Iran´s support, Hamas re-armed and prepared for the second round. The attacks on Israeli cities from Gaza resumed and intensified and in 2012 Israel launched another anti-terrorist operation against Hamas called "Pillar of Cloud". After getting another heavy blow, Hamas asked for the Armistice, and now both sides keep it.

Answer 5

Presently (September 1, 2009), Israel and Gaza are not fighting.

Answer 6

They have been fighting every “ holy day Holliday “ for 10,000 years.