AN INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF ISRAELI-PALETINIAN CONFLICTS ON INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN GAZA.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Given the recent Gaza demonstrations pertaining to the forced displacement of Palestinians in Jerusalem and the ensuing Israeli military actions in Gaza, this discussion aims to emphasise the present critical state of health affairs, partially attributable to the recurrent devastation of Gaza's infrastructure and underlying environmental deterioration. In May 2021, a series of Israeli air strikes resulted in a significant loss of life, with 222 individuals, including 63 children, losing their lives. Additionally, these strikes caused extensive destruction, impacting 450 buildings, including a structure that housed international media offices. Furthermore, the strikes targeted critical infrastructure, such as six hospitals, nine primary health care centres, and a desalination plant responsible for providing clean water to a population of 250,000 individuals (U.N, 2021). Two notable physicians, namely Dr. Ayman Abu-Alouf, an internal medicine consultant who headed the team addressing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at Al-Shifa Hospital, and Dr. Moeen Al-Aloul, a neurologist, tragically lost their lives inside their residences.The user's text is too short to be rewritten in an academic manner. Moreover, it is worth noting that the aforementioned assaults have resulted in the displacement and homelessness of more than 74,000 persons, as reported by the United Nations in 2021. Numerous individuals took sanctuary at educational institutions operated by the United Nations (UN) during a certain period. However, the safety of these individuals was compromised due to the presence of hazardous circumstances within one of the UN schools, namely the existence of deeply concealed undetonated Israeli explosive devices (U.N, 2021).

The 2020 State of Environment and Outlook Report for the occupied Palestinian territories, as documented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), highlights significant environmental obstacles in the region. Notably, international experts conducted multiple site visits to collect data for the report and determined that the territories face substantial challenges, particularly concerning water quality and availability for the population residing in Gaza (Mahase, 2021). The unequivocal obligation of the Israeli Government, as the occupying authority, to address environmental degradation that affects Palestinians (UNDP, 2020), should be duly acknowledged. It is imperative that the government refrains from exacerbating this degradation by engaging in the destruction of infrastructure. The Gaza Strip has a greater degree of impact compared to the West Bank. It is characterised by a high population density, accommodating over 2 million inhabitants, and is geographically elongated, occupying a coastal plain spanning an area of 362 km2.The numerical value provided by the user is 2.5. The Gaza Strip's infrastructure had already been significantly weakened before to the commencement of the 11-day Israeli bombing campaign on May 10, 2021 (Thawaba, Hassoun & Shoman, 2017). The Gaza Strip has been subjected to a 15-year economic siege, which included limitations on the importation of building supplies, equipment, and gasoline. The combination of repeated episodes of conflict and violence has resulted in energy power outages lasting up to 20 hours per day. These blackouts have had significant consequences on the daily routines of inhabitants, as well as the functioning of essential facilities such as hospitals and municipal services, including water and waste treatment (Davis & Gar, 2019). According to Efron et al. (2019), the absence of electrical power has resulted in the discharge of around 108,000 cubic metres of partly treated or untreated effluent into the ocean on a daily basis. The Coastal Aquifer, which serves as the primary freshwater reservoir in Gaza, is subject to excessive extraction in order to address the scarcity of water resources. As a consequence, it is widely acknowledged that the aquifer has sustained irreversible damage due to pollution resulting from the infiltration of sewage and seawater leaks (Al-Delaimy et al., 2020). According to the United Nations (2021), the proportion of groundwater that was considered unsuitable for human consumption reached 92.6% by the year 2018. Consequently, the dependence on trucked water for drinking purposes has increased. It is worth noting that trucked water is considerably more costly, ranging from 15 to 20 times the expense of water obtained from the network. This financial burden is substantial, as individuals allocate up to 50% of their monthly budget towards water expenses, in contrast to the global average of only 3.5%. The introduction of sewage into the marine environment and Coastal Aquifer has led to elevated levels of nitrate, nitrite, and chloride, resulting in nitrate concentrations reaching 300 mg/L. This concentration exceeds the recommendations set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) by a factor of six, and less than 20% of drinking wells meet the standards established by the WHO (Ariella & Adi, 2023). According to Ariella and Adi (2023), a significant proportion of disorders in Gaza, namely 26%, were identified as water-related. Among the prevalent water-related diseases recorded, acute bloody diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, liver and kidney ailments, methemoglobinemia (also known as blue baby syndrome), and anaemia were the most often seen. Insufficient water availability has resulted in a rise in the prevalence of water-related skin and ocular ailments. An further area of worry is the elevated incidence rates of cancer, especially in close proximity to agricultural regions where water sources have been polluted with byproducts of phytosanitary practises.

The combination of extensive urbanisation and a prevalence of low socioeconomic status, coupled with the effects of climate change, is expected to further worsen the challenging circumstances in Gaza. This is due to the increasing temperatures, limited availability of water resources and precipitation, desertification and drought, as well as rising sea levels. These climate-related factors are anticipated to have a disproportionate impact on this particular region (Ariella & Adi, 2023). The removal of several trees in the occupied areas by Israeli troops, citing security concerns, resulted in the construction of barrier walls that further devastated an already fragile ecology.  Significant financial and infrastructural resources are required to effectively tackle the challenges posed by climate change in terms of adaptation and mitigation. The decrease in irrigation water availability, reduced cattle productivity, diminishing fisheries as a protein source and job opportunity, food insecurity, prevalence of water-related illnesses, occurrences of floods, inadequate waste management practises, and several other consequences of climate change are expected to have both direct and indirect health effects on the population residing in Gaza. There is a need for assistance in the areas of climate-smart agriculture, the development of alternative and sustainable water and energy resources, as well as the implementation of measures to prevent and monitor waterborne and foodborne infections. Additionally, there is a need for better sanitation practises and the establishment of more efficient waste collection systems. The Israeli government's continuous siege poses limitations and obstacles in addressing the aforementioned initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change and resolving environmental degradation in Gaza. The imposition of a blockade has led to the imposition of limitations on the transportation of commodities and food items into Gaza, hence leading in a scarcity of imported food products and an augmented agricultural burden to cater to the needs of the densely populated area in the vicinity (Ariella & Adi, 2023).  Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge the diminished agricultural areas resulting from the extensive devastation inflicted upon orchards and fields by Israeli aerial bombings.The number 6. The inadequate implementation of solid waste management systems has resulted in the combustion of both solid and electronic trash, hence causing significant emissions of particulate matter, benzene, dioxins, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls into the atmosphere. The findings suggest a higher incidence of paediatric lymphoma in areas next to electronic waste (e-waste) incineration plants in the West Bank. However, no investigations have been conducted so far to examine this phenomenon in Gaza. The deteriorating infrastructure that already existed in Gaza, along with the ongoing surge in migration and homelessness, is resulting in a significant health catastrophe. There is a pressing requirement to provide assistance to the Palestinian occupied territories in their pursuit of energy independence through the utilisation of renewable energy sources. This support is crucial in addressing the adverse effects of power shortages on healthcare services, facilitating the unimpeded importation of agricultural and water treatment equipment and materials, constructing additional water desalination facilities to ameliorate the detrimental health consequences resulting from the current substandard water quality,implementing cost-effective grey water recycling systems, and endorsing assertive policies aimed at both adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, it is of utmost importance for the international community to hold the Israeli government accountable for its withholding of the aforementioned resources from the Gaza population, as well as for its repeated destruction of their infrastructure. The systematic torture of the people of Gaza cannot be justified by past and present political and military battles. The continuation of the siege of Gaza significantly undermines the effectiveness of a truce, while the process of rebuilding Gaza is repeatedly impeded by further episodes of devastation (U.N., 2021). Therefore, the study investigates  the implications of Israeli-Paletinian conflicts on infrastructural development in Gaza.

1.2 Statement of the problem

The Israeli military's presence in the occupied Palestinian areas is complemented by a civil administration, established by the Israeli government in 1981. Despite being subservient to the military, the primary objective of this organisation was to establish a system that would formalise the division between direct military operations and the administrative oversight of Palestinian affairs (Sarah, 2016). According to Weinthal and Sowers (2023), the deliberate targeting of infrastructure in the West Bank may be seen as a manifestation of slow aggression, resulting in the gradual accumulation of negative consequences. The database used in this research has a total of 685 occurrences that occurred between the time frame of 2006 to 2017. Out of the aforementioned figures, 75% of the attacks were directed against the agriculture sector, while 20% were aimed at water infrastructure, and the other 4% were focused on energy infrastructure(Mahase, 2021). Over the last decade, the Gaza Strip has seen four instances of intense combat, characterised by the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure. The process of Reconstruction has encountered significant limitations due to the imposition of a territorial embargo. The study by (U.N, 2021) examined a total of 297 instances in which infrastructure was deliberately targeted throughout the period spanning from 2006 to 2017. The bulk of the data points in this dataset were allocated to the agriculture and fishery sector, which accounted for 49% of the total. Additionally, the water sector accounted for 43% of the data points, while the energy sector represented 8% of the dataset(U.N, 2021). Approximately 70% of the occurrences documented in the dataset pertaining to agriculture and fishing are associated with limitations imposed on the ability to reach profitable fishing areas. As to a cited source in the study, the Israeli government has imposed limitations on Palestinian fishing activities, reducing the permissible distance from the beach to a mere 3 nautical miles. This falls well short of the 20 nautical mile requirement stipulated by the Oslo Accords. The act of engaging in fishing activities in close proximity to the coastline has been seen to result in the depletion of fish supplies within shallow fishing grounds. According to Mahase (2021), between the years 2008 and 2011, there was a recorded reduction of 90% in catches within these areas. The study states that the water infrastructure in Gaza has suffered significant damage, with cases of destruction notably increasing during times of war. This pattern suggests a deliberate focus on targeting water infrastructure by Israeli air strikes. Hence, the need to investigate the implications of Israeli-Paletinian conflicts on infrastructural development in Gaza.

1.3 Objective of the study

The broad objective of the study is to investigate the implications of Israeli-Paletinian conflicts on infrastructural development in Gaza. The specific objectives is as follows

i.          Assess the level of infrastructural destruction in Gaza.

ii.        Examine the factors responsible for the infrastructural destruction in Gaza

iii.      Find out the implications of Israeli-Paletinian conflicts on infrastructural development in Gaza.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study

i.          What is the level of infrastructural destruction in Gaza?

ii.        What are the factors responsible for the infrastructural destruction in Gaza?

iii.      What are the implications of Israeli-Paletinian conflicts on infrastructural development in Gaza?

1.5 Significance of the study

The findings of the study will be significant to the international community s it will reveal the extent at which the crisis between the Israeli government and the Hamas group have led to a massive infrastructural destruction in Gaza, hence, seek for ways to mediate in other to abate the further destruction of infrastructural facilities in Gaza.

The findings of the study will contribute to the body of knowledge and help as a guide to students who may want to further dig in on the research.

1.6       Scope of the study

The study focuses on  the implications of Israeli-Paletinian conflicts on infrastructural development in GazaHence, the study will assess the level of infrastructural destruction in Gaza, examine the factors responsible for the infrastructural destruction in Gaza and find out the implications of Israeli-Paletinian conflicts on infrastructural development in Gaza.

1.7       Limitation of the study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8       Definition of terms

Conflict: Conflict: a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.

Infrastructure: the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

Development: the process of developing or being developed.

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