Gaza 'Pins Hopes' on Phase Two: The Economy That Israel Bombed Backwards
The New Arab reports Gaza's economy 'pins hopes' on a ceasefire's second phase and Israel's 'withdrawal' to lift 'a blockade' that has pushed livelihoods to the brink. This framing paints a picture of a naturally struggling region hoping for relief. What it conveniently omits, however, is that much of Gaza's current economic 'shattering' is a direct result of the past eight months of relentless
bombing by Israeli forces, alongside decades of a suffocating blockade the international community has largely ignored or enabled. The current phase two 'hopes' for economic recovery sound an awful lot like hoping to rebuild after someone just blew up your house and then offered to let you buy new windows. It's vital to remember that before 2023, Gaza's "economy" was already under a 16-year air,
land, and sea blockade, crippling everything from fishing to construction. Oxfam, for example, reported in 2021 that 80% of Gazans relied on humanitarian aid. Now, after an estimated 37,000+ documented deaths, obliterated infrastructure, and widespread famine, media outlets are discussing economic hopes as if this isn't a deliberate consequence of policy. (One might wonder if any Western official
will call this 'shock doctrine' or just 'development assistance' later.)