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| Gaza live blog | Gaza live blog |
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| 8.14am: Some facts and figures about Gaza: | |
| Size: 360 sq km (139 square miles). Length: 40km long (25 miles). Width: 11km (at widest point). | |
| Population: 1.7 million (43.9% under age of 14). | |
| Life expectancy: 74.1 years. | |
| Fertility: 4.57 children per woman. | |
| Literacy: 92.4%. | |
| Unemployment: 31.5% (58.9% among those aged 25-29). 86.3% of women do not participate in the workforce. | |
| Population below the poverty line: 38% (2010). | |
| Food aid: 62% of the total population relies on international agencies for some food. | |
| Sources: CIA World Factbook, Gisha, United Nations | |
| 7.55am: The start of summer means in Gaza what it does in Britain, writes Phoebe Greenwood: exam season. But for students here, the frenzy of last-minute cramming and the pressure to perform is even more acute. The stakes are higher. | |
| It's 10am in Gaza City and Alaa Al-Ashi, 17, has less than 24 hours until her first exam tomorrow morning: religion. This is the first of 10 exams she'll sit in the next two weeks. She says she has been studying day and night for the past few weeks and looks pale. But she's sacrificed 10 minutes to drink some strawberry juice and speak with me. | |
| "I think I'm almost ready," she says, ripping a tissue to shreds in her hands. | |
| Because of the power cuts, Alaa has been studying at night with a torch. It's strained her eyes but she's managed. She comes to study during the day at her grandmother Safa's house because she shares a room with her four younger brothers. Safa brings a constant supply of sugary tea. | |
| "I'm most worried about English. I want to be a journalist and I need 70% to get into the course." | |
| The Tawjih – or leaving certificate – is an enormous deal in Gaza. The names of every student are published alongside their final marks in the paper. | |
| "It's like a ghost haunting all of them from the very first day of the year. For these girls, it feels as if it is the most important year of their lives – one that will determine whether they will be a success or a failure in life" says Amani Ayoub, 29, who teaches and exhausting double shift at the girls' government secondary school in Al Nasser in Gaza City. | |
| "Even for years before, girls come and ask me will I succeed? A few told me, their fathers had said if they don't get high marks, they will be married off to anyone." | |
| Almost 450,000 students are jammed into Gaza's 650 schools. Years of desperately poor funding and the destruction wrought by Israeli incursions means the territory's education system is staggering along with almost all schools operating on a double-shift system – one lot of students in the morning and another in the afternoon. | |
| Amani starts her first shift at 7am, her second at midday and finishes the school day at 5pm. Then she gets started on her mountains of paperwork. And teachers are among the lowest paid professions in Gaza, earning around 1,200 NIS a month. "You have to love teaching otherwise you wouldn't last a day," she says wearily. | |
| A major part cause of this poor performance is lack of space and a dire shortage of facilities. | |
| On top of the 250 students and 15 teachers who were killed in Operation Cast Lead, 280 schools and 18 totally destroyed. The Israeli invasion began just as many of the students were sitting down to take exams. Seven universities and colleges were damaged - six buildings fully destroyed, according to Unesco. | |
| But Gaza's schools were struggling even before the blockade. In 2006, almost 80% of pupils failed to pass mathematics and more than 40% failed in Arabic. | |
| More than 100 news schools need to be built urgently but the chronic shortage in building materials as a result of Israeli restrictions means that in 2010, only three were built. UNRWA – the UN body charged with the welfare of Palestinian refugees – is hoping to build 100 new schools in Gaza. The Israeli authorities have so far given the green-light to relax their tight control on building materials into the Gaza Strip to allow the construction of 52 of these UNRWA school projects. | |
| For those children not in school, whose families can't afford for them to finish their education, the outlook is particularly grim. The unemployment rate for teenagers aged 15-19 is about 72%, dropping to 66% when they hit 20. Amani says the biggest challenge for teachers is getting their pupils motivated to try. | |
| "They say if I'm going to end up without a job even if I study hard and go to university, what's the point? I may as well just get married early and have kids. My battle is to try and make them realise they can have both," she says. | |
| The UN warns that an epidemic of hopelessness among Gaza's children is pushing the region towards desperation and extremism: "A rapidly growing society, becoming poorer, that is subject to restrictions on education will encourage extremism in its worst forms," Maxwell Gaylard, the UN's humanitarian coordinator here, has warned. | |
| Most ambitious young Palestinians in Gaza dream of emigrating and many pin these dreams on the elusive foreign scholarship, to a university in Egypt, Europe and the US. With 50% unemployment, they argue -quite reasonably – that the only chance of a bright future lies outside of the Gaza Strip. For students here, pressure to do well in exams is more than just a matter of academic achievement – it's a ticket out. | |
| 7.52am: A Gaza Q&A: | |
| What happened five years ago? | |
| After Hamas won a majority in elections in January 2006, a shaky unity government was established with Fatah. Then five years ago this month, the rival factions fought a bloody battle for control of Gaza, which ended in victory for Hamas. Israel responded by drastically tightening its siege of the territory, blocking most imports, all exports and restricting the movement of people. | |
| What was the impact? | |
| The effect on Gaza's economy was devastating. Israel allowed entry to Gaza only of goods "vital for the survival of the civilian population". Factories and workshops closed, unemployment rose, farmers were unable to sell their produce outside Gaza, hospitals struggled to obtain drugs and equipment, aid agencies warned of a humanitarian disaster. A large-scale smuggling route, via tunnels to Egypt, sprang up, enabling Gaza to obtain most of its needs through the black market. | |
| Didn't Israel relax the blockade two years ago? | |
| After Israel shot dead nine Turkish activists on board the Mavi Marmara, part of an international flotilla attempting to break the siege, Israel came under huge international pressure to ease its blockade. It began allowing food, consumer goods and some raw materials into Gaza, but it still bans items – such as construction materials - deemed to be of potential military use. It has continued to ban almost all exports. Around 25 trucks now leave Gaza each month, compared to an average of 2,000 trucks a month before June 2007. | |
| Can people get in and out of Gaza? | |
| Israel restricts passage to "exceptional humanitarian cases with an emphasis on urgent medical cases". Around 3,000 permits are now issued each month, compared to 500,000 in September 2000. The border crossing to Egypt reopened two years ago. | |
| Did Israel's strategy undermine Hamas? | |
| Many analysts say that the the siege of Gaza had the converse effect of entrenching Hamas's grip on the territory. | |
| Is Gaza still under occupation? | |
| Israel has had no permanent presence inside Gaza since it withdrew troops and settlers in 2005. But it controls its borders, airspace and waters, and regularly mounts military operations in response to rocket fire. Israel says it no longer occupies Gaza, but the United Nations and European Union maintains it is still occupied territory. | |
| What has Hamas rule been like for the people of Gaza? | |
| Many people say internal security has improved. But Hamas has repressed political opposition, restricted free speech and the right to protest, and only allows Hamas-controlled newspapers to circulate. It has also attempted to impose Islamic mores, such as dress codes and rules on association between unrelated men and women, on an already socially-conservative culture. | |
| What happened in the 2008-09 war? | |
| Israel launched a three-week military onslaught on Gaza on 27 December 2008 in response to escalating rocket fire. Around 1,400 Palestinians, including many civilians, were killed and around 5,000 people wounded. Thirteen Israelis were killed (four by friendly fire). Many buildings, including homes, schools and medical facilities, were destroyed or badly damaged. Since the end of the war, from which Hamas emerged intact but weakened, the organisation has been wary of any further large-scale military confrontation with Israel. | |
| Is Hamas still firing rockets at Israel? | |
| Hamas has largely adhered to a ceasefire since the end of the war, but rockets continue to be fired from Gaza by other militant groups. According to the Israeli Defence Forces, more than 270 rockets have landed in Israel this year. | |
| What happens next? | |
| Hamas and Fatah have agreed to a reconciliation process that could lead to fresh elections some time in the future. However, many observers are deeply sceptical about whether either side really wants reconciliation. Israel says it hopes to further liberalise sanctions on Gaza but that security is the prime consideration. Some analysts say Israel is now enacting a policy of isolation and separation rather than a strict blockade. | |
| 7.20am: Among those hardest hit by the blockade are Gaza's fishermen (see photo above), who are restricted to three nautical miles from the shore. Harriet Sherwood is at the fishing port, where I've just spoken to her. | |
| Good morning from Gaza, where I'm at the fish market. This used to be a thriving, bustling place but in the past five years supplies of fish have dwindled. | Good morning from Gaza, where I'm at the fish market. This used to be a thriving, bustling place but in the past five years supplies of fish have dwindled. |
| Munir Abu Hassira, 48, is standing over his modest display of sea bass, snapper, sardines and denis. He comes from a fishing family stretching back generations. | Munir Abu Hassira, 48, is standing over his modest display of sea bass, snapper, sardines and denis. He comes from a fishing family stretching back generations. |
| "Supplies have dropped by 80%," he says. "We used to export fish to Israel. Now we can't sell a single fish there. Instead we are importing from Egypt and Israel." | "Supplies have dropped by 80%," he says. "We used to export fish to Israel. Now we can't sell a single fish there. Instead we are importing from Egypt and Israel." |
| The blockade, he said, was punishing ordinary people. "It's hard for us to feed our families." | The blockade, he said, was punishing ordinary people. "It's hard for us to feed our families." |
| Earlier, I spoke to fisherman Hussam Baker. These days, he thinks 30 boxes of fish is a good haul. But it is only a tenth of his regular catch a few years ago, and the fish are small and almost worthless. | Earlier, I spoke to fisherman Hussam Baker. These days, he thinks 30 boxes of fish is a good haul. But it is only a tenth of his regular catch a few years ago, and the fish are small and almost worthless. |
| "The income from this boat feeds 100 people," said the 41-year-old fisherman who followed his father and grandfather out to sea as a teenager, gesturing at his trawler. But since Israel imposed a sea blockade of three nautical miles to prevent weapons being smuggled to Gaza, many are going hungry. | "The income from this boat feeds 100 people," said the 41-year-old fisherman who followed his father and grandfather out to sea as a teenager, gesturing at his trawler. But since Israel imposed a sea blockade of three nautical miles to prevent weapons being smuggled to Gaza, many are going hungry. |
| The permitted area – just 15% of Gaza's waters - is being depleted of fish, and boats which venture beyond the limit are forced back by patrolling Israel gunboats. According to Oxfam, there have been 26 incidents since the beginning of this year of the Israeli navy opening fire on Gazan fishermen. | The permitted area – just 15% of Gaza's waters - is being depleted of fish, and boats which venture beyond the limit are forced back by patrolling Israel gunboats. According to Oxfam, there have been 26 incidents since the beginning of this year of the Israeli navy opening fire on Gazan fishermen. |
| Around 3,800 fishermen were working off the Gaza coast before the blockade. This year, says Oxfam, the figure may have plummeted to 400 as the three-mile limit has been compounded by fuel shortages. | Around 3,800 fishermen were working off the Gaza coast before the blockade. This year, says Oxfam, the figure may have plummeted to 400 as the three-mile limit has been compounded by fuel shortages. |
| Baker gets a government fuel quota of 300 litres each week. "But that lasts a maximum of two days." He then resorts to the black market, paying more than double the 2.5 shekel per litre official price. On top of that is the cost of maintaining his boat. | Baker gets a government fuel quota of 300 litres each week. "But that lasts a maximum of two days." He then resorts to the black market, paying more than double the 2.5 shekel per litre official price. On top of that is the cost of maintaining his boat. |
| It's a heavy outlay for vastly-reduced returns. Baker and his 20-man crew are grateful if they make 1,000 shekels (£165) between them from a fishing trip. | It's a heavy outlay for vastly-reduced returns. Baker and his 20-man crew are grateful if they make 1,000 shekels (£165) between them from a fishing trip. |
| Under the 1993 Oslo accords, Palestinian fishermen were permitted to fish up to 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. Israel imposed a limit of three nautical miles in 2007 as part of its land and sea blockade of Gaza after Hamas took control of the territory. But fishermen and aid agencies say that in practice the limit is enforced even closer to shore. | Under the 1993 Oslo accords, Palestinian fishermen were permitted to fish up to 20 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. Israel imposed a limit of three nautical miles in 2007 as part of its land and sea blockade of Gaza after Hamas took control of the territory. But fishermen and aid agencies say that in practice the limit is enforced even closer to shore. |
| The Israeli military says there are "significant security risks along the coast" and that blockade is in accordance with international law. | The Israeli military says there are "significant security risks along the coast" and that blockade is in accordance with international law. |
| 7am: This month is the fifth anniversary of Hamas securing control of the Gaza Strip and Israel tightening its blockade. The Guardian will be reporting on and about Gaza for the next 12 hours, to dig beneath the headlines to find out what the impact of Hamas rule and economic and political isolation from Israel has had on Gaza's 1.7m people. Through text, video, audio and pictures from our correspondents on the ground, we will be telling their stories and also carrying interviews, blogposts and commentary about Gaza. | 7am: This month is the fifth anniversary of Hamas securing control of the Gaza Strip and Israel tightening its blockade. The Guardian will be reporting on and about Gaza for the next 12 hours, to dig beneath the headlines to find out what the impact of Hamas rule and economic and political isolation from Israel has had on Gaza's 1.7m people. Through text, video, audio and pictures from our correspondents on the ground, we will be telling their stories and also carrying interviews, blogposts and commentary about Gaza. |
| Although our correspondents and bloggers will be reporting live throughout the day, some of the material, including many of the films and some of the interviews, has been recorded in the weeks leading up to Gaza live day. | Although our correspondents and bloggers will be reporting live throughout the day, some of the material, including many of the films and some of the interviews, has been recorded in the weeks leading up to Gaza live day. |
| Here an editor's note explains why we have decided to blog from Gaza today. | Here an editor's note explains why we have decided to blog from Gaza today. |
| Five years ago this month, following Palestinian legislative elections in which Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and removed Fatah officials from office, Israel and Egypt announced a heightening of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Although some aspects of the restrictions on the flow of goods and people into Gaza have been eased by Israel and Egypt since 2010, many believe the blockade still amounts to a collective punishment of the Gazans. By live blogging a day in Gaza we are attempting to show what everyday life is like there for its 1.7 million people. | Five years ago this month, following Palestinian legislative elections in which Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and removed Fatah officials from office, Israel and Egypt announced a heightening of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Although some aspects of the restrictions on the flow of goods and people into Gaza have been eased by Israel and Egypt since 2010, many believe the blockade still amounts to a collective punishment of the Gazans. By live blogging a day in Gaza we are attempting to show what everyday life is like there for its 1.7 million people. |
| And here Harriet Sherwood, the Guardian's Jerusalem correspondent, talks about her own experiences covering Gaza, and the reasons for this blog. | And here Harriet Sherwood, the Guardian's Jerusalem correspondent, talks about her own experiences covering Gaza, and the reasons for this blog. |
| Gaza has made many headlines in the past five years. But the experiences of ordinary people trying to go about their daily business are often obscured behind the frequent rockets, bombings, shootings and demolitions. | Gaza has made many headlines in the past five years. But the experiences of ordinary people trying to go about their daily business are often obscured behind the frequent rockets, bombings, shootings and demolitions. |
| Now, in a unique venture for a mainstream news organisation, the Guardian is attempting to redress that. Over 12 hours, we will tell the stories from Gaza on our website, which we hope will draw a picture of life behind the fences and walls. Some of this material has been gathered over recent days, but much of it will be reported and published in real time during the course of the day. | Now, in a unique venture for a mainstream news organisation, the Guardian is attempting to redress that. Over 12 hours, we will tell the stories from Gaza on our website, which we hope will draw a picture of life behind the fences and walls. Some of this material has been gathered over recent days, but much of it will be reported and published in real time during the course of the day. |
| Above, Gazan schoolchildren talk about their lives and their hopes for the future. | Above, Gazan schoolchildren talk about their lives and their hopes for the future. |
| Welcome to Gaza live. | Welcome to Gaza live. |