Introduction of the Gaza Series: No More Silence

"A Palestinian boy walks past a drawing by British graffiti artist Banksy, along part of the controversial Israeli barrier near the Kalandia checkpoint."


Recently, I have had the pleasure of getting into contact with a few people currently living in the blockaded Gaza strip of Palestine. This 139 mile-squared piece of land is enclosed by Israel and Egypt, and is unfortunately subject to the trapping of its people by the two countries, forming the largest open air prison in the world. The population density of Gaza exceeds 13,000 people per square mile, equating to a population of well over a million imprisoned Palestinians with nowhere else to go. Gaza has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, and has faced similar conditions at the hands of Egypt before that. Currently, Israel practices indirect external control over Gaza by "controlling Gaza's air and maritime space, control of six of Gaza's seven land crossings (the seventh is controlled by Egypt), reserving the right to reenter Gaza at will through regular military incursions, maintaining a no-go buffer zone within the Gaza territory, and maintaining Gaza's dependence on Israel for trade, water, sewage, electricity, currency, communication networks, issuing IDs, and permits to enter and leave the territory and the Palestinian Population Registry." These conditions, along with the lack of international intervention, awareness, and pressure, have suffocated Gazans, and have subjugated over a million people to life in horrifying conditions; without sufficient access to basic human needs such as water, food, electricity, movement, healthcare, education and dignity.

Unfortunately, these aspects of life in Gaza have been widely accepted as an inevitable, yet unfortunate, consequence of Israel's "justified" right to exist. Others have attempted to rationalize Israel's inhumane derogatory treatment of Palestinians by shifting them all under the umbrella'd label of "Hamas terrorists"; a highly, highly flawed argument considering Hamas was formed after Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, expulsion of Palestinian natives, and terrorist attacks against those who refused to leave their homes. What also fails to be considered by pro-Israeli analysists is the documented, widespread lack of support for Hamas among Palestinians themselves. However, these aspects of the conflict don't seem to appeal to many. Politics has cheapened the value of Palestinian life; it has attempted to justify mistreatment, torture, murder, and inhumanity. As a result of this widespread desensitization to the issue, as well as a constant influx of excuses for this desensitization, e.i "we can't do anything about it, so what's the point of talking about it" or "both sides are guilty" or "it's too complicated" etc., I, along with the amazingly brave, influential, inspiring people of Gaza, specifically Sayel Al Wahidi, have decided to begin a Gaza series.

This series will be based on submissions of pictures, stories, and injustices which occur daily in the occupied, suffocated, imprisoned lands of Gaza. This series will attempt to illustrate the extent of the humanitarian crisis inflicted on the populous of Gaza. This series will show you what Gazans have suffered under for decades. This series will explain to you why the excuses formulated by politicians, as well as pro-Israeli lobbies, are insufficient. This series will show you why this is illegal and not justified. This series will humanize you. This series is one of Gaza's many voices.