FACTS ABOUT PALESTINE

Palestine Facts is dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate information regarding the historical, military, and political background to the on-going struggle between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. The situation is complex with deep and diverse roots. By using the resources of this large and growing site, you can become much more knowledgable about what is going on and why.
The current status of the Gaza Strip (also called just Gaza) is governed by the agreements of the Oslo peace process, in particular the Cairo Agreement on Gaza and Jericho of May 1994. Under the agreements, Israel has transfered most powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to provide security for the external borders and for Jewish settlements.

After the al-Aqsa intifadah was started by the Palestinian Arabs in September 2000, widespread violence in the Gaza Strip was uncontrolled by the Palestinian Authority. Since then there has been little progress toward any permanent agreement on the status of the Gaza Strip.

There are approximately 1.1 million Palestinians living in the 47-square miles of Gaza, 20 percent of which is occupied by 25 Jewish settlements with a population of 6,900 (2001). Some of the settlements have long-time Jewish roots; there is an ancient synagogue in central Gaza, for example. Israel considers the settlements in southern Gaza as an essential buffer to prevent arms smuggling from Egypt. Smugglers have used elaborate means, including tunneling, to move terrorist weapons and supplies into Gaza and into Israel from there.
The Israeli army mans checkpoints in and near Gaza to patrol the border, safeguard the Jewish communities, and protect Israeli farmers when they work in fields near the border. They also prevent infiltrators from entering Israel. Gaza has been a constant source of terrorist activity in Israel; the IDF positions are frequently attacked by Palestinian gunmen. It was during one such attack that Mohammed al-Dura was killed on September 30, 2000.

A young Israeli soldier working the border region says:

You see the armed Palestinians, but you cannot open fire until they shoot at you. [It pains me] to hear how Israel is treated abroad, and how the foreign media cover the situation here. We give the Palestinians fuel, food and medication. No one mentions that we never initiate any of the shooting, and that we are forced to defend ourselves.
Because of unrelenting Palestinian Arab attacks on IDF patrols, there are no more foot patrols. Only armored vehicles are used. Attacks on settlements have led Israel to erect security fences, including patrol roads and movement sensors, around Jewish areas.

The violence in Gaza was exploited by reporter Chris Hedges in an article in Harper's October 2001 magazine, "Gaza Diary," which accuses Israeli troops of deliberately goading Palestinian children and murdering them for sport. His descriptions have been exposed as a hoax (see Eyeless in Gaza), but the article continues to be widely circulated in anti-Israeli media.