The devastation in Gaza is unconscionable. We must urge an immediate ceasefire. The killing of Palestinians and Israelis must end. We must also take a hard look at nearly $4 billion a year in military aid to Israel. It is illegal for U.S. aid to support human rights violations.

Gaza Recent History The Israelis completely withdrew from Gaza in 2005 as part of a plan to swap land for peace. The withdrawal was motivated by a desire to reduce security risks and by the belief that maintaining control over Gaza was not in the long-term interests of Israel. Israel pulled out all settlers and military forces, and transferred administrative control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. Israel had been imposing restrictions on the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza before the withdrawal, particularly after the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000. In other words, Gaza was already a hot mess of violence and economic restrictions before the withdrawal. The restrictions were imposed in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons and materials that could be used for attacks against Israeli civilians. The Israeli restrictions on the movement of people and goods caused economic hardships in Gaza like high unemployment. Young men without jobs to sustain and occupy them is a recipe for disaster. Travel was also restricted making it difficult for people to access healthcare, education, and job opportunities outside of Gaza. After Israel withdrew, the Palestinian Authority sought to establish a democratic government in the territory. An election was held in 2005 aimed to give the people of Gaza a voice in choosing their leaders and determining the direction of their governance. A big reason why Hamas won the election was the dissatisfaction Palestinians had with the Fatah party in Gaza which was seen as corrupt and ineffective in addressing the needs of the people. Hamas and Fatah have ties to terrorists. 8 out of 10 voters in Gaza voted for one of these two parties. Hamas is the worst of the two organizations, in my opinion. By far the worst. Hamas is an Islamist movement designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, and other countries. Fatah is a secular nationalist party and has historically been recognized as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas presented itself to voters as a resistance movement fighting against Israeli occupation and offering social and welfare programs to support the population. Hamas enjoyed support from a Palestinians due to its strong stance against Israeli policies, including the use of violence. Hamas perpetrates suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and other acts of violence targeting Israeli civilians. That’s why they’ve been designated as a terrorist organization. The voters in Gaza elected a terrorist organization to form their government. How could they expect anything good to come of it? More violence resonated with Palestinians who felt frustrated and marginalized by the ongoing conflict. In the land for peace deal, the Palestinians in Gaza chose violence. After Hamas gained control in Gaza, Israel imposed a blockade because allowing terrorists trying to kill you access to resources and freedom of movement is a bad idea from their perspective. Of course, the blockade of Gaza created additional and worsening economic hardships. Economic blockades and restrictions had not been working before, and I don’t know why Israel thought they would ever work. Economic blockades only punish the people and are an ineffective policy tool during peacetime, in my opinion. Since 2005, there have been no new elections in Gaza, which should come as no surprise to the people in Gaza or to anyone else because terrorist organizations aren’t known for holding elections. The frequent conflicts between Israel and Hamas have resulted in escalating violence with property destruction and dismaying loss of life. The blockade, and escalating conflicts, have deteriorated living conditions in Gaza, where the desperate people have limited access to healthcare, education, and basic services. International efforts to broker peace and improve conditions in Gaza have failed.