Is the Israeli blockade of Gaza legal?
Since 2007, following Hamas’ victory in internationally-monitored elections for the Palestinian Authority parliament the previous year, Israel has imposed a draconian siege and naval blockade on Gaza in an act of collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.
How do weapons get into Gaza?
The major smuggling route is from Iran to Sudan, on to Egypt and the Sinai peninsula, and from there to the Gaza Strip, with Iran’s direct involvement in providing the arms and transferring them into the Gaza Strip.
Where does Gaza get its rockets?
Palestinian rockets include those locally made in Gaza and the West Bank as well as weapons smuggled from Iran and Syria. Rockets are used in attacks on Israel, mostly to target Israeli civilian centers in addition to Israeli military posts.
Is Israel’s blockade illegal?
According to George Bisharat, a professor at Hastings College of the Law, Israel’s blockade of Gaza was illegal, and enforcing the blockade in international waters was similarly illegal.
Is anyone allowed in Gaza?
There is essentially no tourist flow to Gaza since 2005 because of the ongoing Israeli military land, sea, and air blockade. There are no visa conditions imposed on foreign nationals other than those imposed by the visa policy of Israel.
How is Hamas getting rockets?
While Hamas had more success with smuggling in the past, today experts believe most of its rockets are built by shops in Gaza, with technical assistance and millions of dollars of financing supplied by Iran, as Hamas openly claims, in the form of “blueprints, engineering know-how, motor tests and other technical …
Where do Hamas get their arms from?
Though usually smuggled across the Egyptian border into the Gaza Strip and to a lesser extent Jordanian border into the West Bank, various small arms are believed to be produced in the Palestinian territories.
Who finances Hamas?
Iran
Hamas is a militant and political organization currently in power in the Gaza Strip. According to Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, “Hamas is funded by Iran. It claims it is financed by donations, but the donations are nothing like what it receives from Iran.
Who fired first Israel or Gaza?
Air raid sirens have sounded in southern Israel after a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip, the first since Israel’s 11-day assault in May on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rockets fired by Palestinian groups towards Israel.
What is the purpose of the Gaza blockade?
Israel. Israel stated that the purpose of the blockade was to pressure Hamas into ending the rocket attacks and to deprive them of the supplies necessary for the continuation of rocket attacks. Israel argues that it is not legally responsible for Gaza beyond whatever is necessary to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
How do Palestinian militants make their rockets?
Despite a blockade, Palestinian militants have used help from Iran, ingenuity, Israeli-fired duds and even plumbing pipes to make thousands of rockets with increased range. A house in Petah Tikva, Israel, that was hit this week by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.
What do the Rockets in Gaza mean to Israel?
But to Israelis, the rockets are the tools of what their country and many others including the United States regard as a terrorist organization, embedded among the nearly two million Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza. To many Palestinians, the rockets symbolize their rightful resistance to Israeli dominance and occupation.
Why did Abbas oppose lifting the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza?
In 2010, Abbas declared that he opposed lifting the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip because this would bolster Hamas. Egypt also supported this position. In 2016, Abbas objected to the entrance of Qatari fuel to the Gaza electricity plant via Israel, because his PA would be unable to collect taxes on the fuel.