Refugee Crisis in Gaza

Written By Neha Parthasarathi

Written by Anna Zhang

Since when have wars become so normalized that most of us turn a blind eye to it? First the Russia-Ukraine war. Now the Israel-Gaza conflict. Those are just 2 of the most prominent situations going on right now, while many other countries all over the world face the same attacks, which has all happened in the last decade, leaving millions of people all over the world stranded and without a place to call home. The most shocking part of this is that most people don’t even care about what is going on, believing that it doesn’t affect them. In truth, these devastating acts of war affect not just people from a certain area, but everyone all over the world. With the Israel-Gaza conflict showing no signs of ceasefire anytime soon, who knows when these conflicts can turn into full fledged world wars? Millions of Palestinians live in an active war zone everyday, not knowing if they will survive to see another day. The least we should do is educate ourselves about these situations, raise awareness, and try to support the refugees in these dangerous times.  

Background:

Though the Israel-Gaza conflict may seem rather recent, in truth, the bad blood simmering between the two territories can be traced back to the early 20th century. Following the end of World War I, Britain took control of the area where Palestine is now, occupied with a Jewish minority and Arab majority. The United Nations was tasked with the responsibility of creating a national home for the Jews in Palestine; however, both Arabs and Jews alike claimed Palestine as theirs. With this issue never settled, violence ensued, and thus began the decades long of fighting and bloodshed.

Causes:

Various peace negotiations were in talks throughout the decades. In 1947, the United Nations proposed for Palestine to be separated into Jewish and Arab states, but it was never accepted by the Arabs. The next year, the Jews decided to create the State of Israel, which immediately led to various Arab states attacking them. This event is known as the “Catastrophe”-- thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee, which led to Israel controlling most of the territory. Since then, there have been a number of wars, all of which resulted in bloodshed and more refugees forced to flee their homes, though never in the widespread scale we see currently. So what happened?

A map of Palestinian territories

Source: Council on Foreign Relations

In 2006, an Islamist group, Hamas, won the Palestinian election and seized control of Gaza shortly after. Gaza is a narrow strip of land located next to Israel, which led to Israel occupying the area for a long time; so when Hamas occupied Gaza, militants have fought several wars with Israel. However, the most devastating war may have to be the most recent one, starting on October 7, 2023. That morning, Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza, in which Israel declared war and struck the Gaza strip. The war has been continuing ever since, with little chances of ceasefire, due to issues that stem back to decades ago. Main issues that the two sides cannot agree on are if a Palestinian state should be created as well, what should happen to the Palestinian refugees, and more.

A map of Gaza 

Source: Ocha

Impact:

The impact of the Israel-Gaza conflict has been catastrophic, with an unthinkable number of casualties and even more refugees displaced from their homes. According to the International Court of Justice, they state that it is plausible that these acts are genocide.

The destruction in Gaza

Photographer: Mohammed Dahman

  • More than 35,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, not including the 10,000 bodies that cannot be identified 

  • Driven 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes

  • Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people

  • Casualties are mostly civilians 

  • Health care system in Gaza has collapsed

  • 100% of Gazans are have a food shortage–the highest ever for any area

  • 1.7 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza

  • Blockade on Gaza by Israel

Statistics on the Israeli Genocide in the Gaza Strip

Source: Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor

Gaza Crisis in Numbers

Source: Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli Defense Force, UNOCHA, wire agencies

The Palestinian Health Ministry reports that more than 70% of the dead are women and children, and over 40% of those who are killed are children. The amount of civilians killed has come to the attention of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who announced, “Israel's military operations have spread mass destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as secretary-general.”    

Response/Aid Efforts:

While most nations worldwide pin the blame on Hamas, declaring their actions as terrorism, some nations believe Israel to be the root cause of the Israel-Gaza conflict. With Israel blocking any supplies from reaching Gaza, more than a million Palestianians are dependent on outside food assistance.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) immediately sprung to action, providing relief support to hospitals and saving many lives to Palestinians. In addition to helping refugees in the Gaza crisis physically, the IRC also provides mental health support to children and adults alike, helping them cope with the toll the war has taken on them. Some of the people who need support the most are displaced families. The IRC has partnered with a Palestinian NGO to provide access to basic services for families affected by the war. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, provides assistance and protection for Palestinian refugees specifically. 

New Policies:

Throughout the years, many new policies have been discussed, but none have been successful in the fact that both sides, Israel and Hamas, agree to it. Late last month, US President Joe Biden proposed the release of hostages in exchange for the Palestinians held captive by Israel. Hamas wants a permanent cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza, which Biden said would be included in the new policy. However, Israeli’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses; he is committed to destroying Hamas’ military and their power. Netanyahu’s decisions have been met with much frustration from the families of hostages. A group representing the families says, “This is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the state’s moral duty toward its citizens.” 

On Israel’s side, they aim to reoccupy Gaza completely and completely destroy Hamas’ military. However, Hamas is an organization committed to destroying Israel, thus the complication of the situation. Israel aims to attack hundreds of military targets in Gaza, leading to various casualties. An IRC County director for the Gaza Crisis calls into question just how many Gazans have been affected by the war between Israel and Hamas, “In this case, people are surviving in an active war zone—there is nowhere safe for people in Gaza.  They are trapped and being chased by conflict into new ‘humanitarian zones’—which are still targeted, and they don’t know if they or their families will survive from day to day.”  

Call to Action:

If so many organizations and nations worldwide are trying to resolve this conflict, what can we, as ordinary people, do? There are many little things we can do that add up to make a huge difference.

  • Donate to support emergency relief in Gaza

  • Make sure your money is not going towards human rights violations; boycott companies

  • Bring attention to the Gaza crisis by posting online, educating friends, and more

  • Take part in protests and rallies 

  • Petition for a cease-fire

A protest in Washington, D.C.

Photographer: Matthew Paul D'Agostino

Neha Parthasarathi
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