Reconstruction under siege: the Gaza Strip since 2007

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Conflict Studies

Background:

• The Gaza Strip has been under siege since 2007, impacting its population and infrastructure.
• Traditional siege research focuses on coping, humanitarian aid, and needs, often neglecting reconstruction.
• Gaza's unique context involves high reconstruction priorities following three destructive wars with Israel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the factors influencing reconstruction outcomes in the Gaza Strip under siege.
• To apply a theoretical framework examining time, needs, scarcity, and political context to Gaza's reconstruction.
• To understand why large-scale reconstruction has not been achieved despite favorable conditions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of siege research and contemporary warfare.
• Contextualization of the Gaza Strip's situation.
• Application of a four-factor theoretical framework (time, needs, scarcity, political context) to analyze reconstruction outcomes.

Main Results:

• Gaza presents as a 'most-likely' case for successful reconstruction under siege conditions.
• Analysis revealed significant variations in reconstruction outcomes over time.
• Despite being a likely candidate, large-scale, transformative reconstruction has not materialized.

Conclusions:

• The theoretical framework effectively explains variations in Gaza's reconstruction efforts.
• Political context and scarcity significantly impede transformative reconstruction in Gaza.
• Further research is needed to address the gap between reconstruction potential and actualized outcomes in besieged environments.