Washington Report On Middle East Affairs – October 2018

Four Years After Israel’s

2014 War on Gaza, a New

One May Be on the

Horizon

By Mohammed Omer

“FE HARB?”asks Ahamad Abdelaziz. No

one knows why the 46-year-old Gazan

keeps asking “will there be war?”—but Ab-

delaziz saw his home destroyed during Is-

rael’s 51-day assault on Gaza in 2014. His

was but one of the thousands of homes

ruined.

“I fear it is happening again,” he explains.

“I feel a new war could erupt any moment.”

Pausing, the father of six says with a sigh,

“We have had enough of it all.”

Even though a cease-fire between Israel

and Hamas is holding, following the worst

escalation of violence since 2014, residents

of the Palestinian enclave remain fearful.

They are, after all, familiar with the signs in-

dicating the onset of yet another war.

Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing, its commercial

goods entry to the besieged Gaza Strip on Aug. 15, and the Erez

crossing for the movement of people on Aug. 27, as the cease-fire

held.But Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu nevertheless

insists that the Israeli military is prepared for more intense strikes

if Gaza border protests continue.

During the weekly Gaza protest marches, Palestinian demon-

strators gather on the border with Israel to demand an opening of

Gaza borders and an end to the Israeli blockade.

During a meeting with Israel’s military leaders, Defense Minister

Avigdor Liebermansaid the next war on Gaza is just a matter of

time, according to Israeli media reports. Meanwhile, Gaza’s ongo-

ing humanitarian crisis continues to worsen.

United Nations officials are warning that serious fuel shortages

are affecting hospitals, water and sanitation facilities serving

Gaza’s more than 2 million residents.

Amir Abu Salamah, a 45-year-old businessman, said that, until

a year ago, Gaza used to be somehow livable—but not anymore.

He was forced to lay off most of the employees at his construction

company because he could no longer afford to pay them.

“Everyone is grim,” Abu Salamah said. “There is no business,

merchants are in jail for unpaid debts, and the economy is collaps-

ing daily.”

Electricity in Gaza is available only four hours a day, and few can

afford back-up generators or simple battery-operated fans. No one

will drink the salty and often-contaminated tap water, forcing some

families to spend nearly half of their modest income on drinking

water from roaming trucks which will pump water up to water-tanks

on rooftops. Less fortunate Gazans can’t afford to buy water at all,

but instead must rely on whatever they can find, whether it’s con-

taminated or not.

“We were slaughtered like animals and we didn’t hear a word of

outrage from outside governments,” says Wael Al Namlah, a dou-

ble amputee following the August 2014 war on Gaza. “Each time

I use my crutches I recall what happened that day,” he adds. “I no

longer go down the street where I lost many family members in the

bombing.”

Award-winning journalist Mohammed Omer reports regularly on

the Gaza Strip. Follow him on Twitter: @MoGaza.

OCTOBER 2018 WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS 57

Two Views

Gazans on Edge

Pupils are transported to a school run by the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees

(UNRWA) in Gaza City on Aug. 29, 2018, the first day of school. UNRWA warned that schools

may have to close due to funding cuts of $300 million in U.S. aid.

PHOTO CREDIT MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

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