Is the situation of Gaza also a military occupation?

Gaza is a coastal strip of land just 22 miles long and 8 miles wide. With a population of two million, it is one of the most densely populated places on earth. Although Israel withdrew its Jewish settlers from Gaza in 2005, it maintains a blockade on Gaza. This blockade prevents people from leaving, and limits resources such as food and medical supplies that enter Gaza.

Israel conducted full-scale military bombardments of Gaza in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014 and 2021 (and lesser bombardments in intervening years) in which thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children died. During these bombardments, the Israeli military destroyed much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure; many residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and places of worship; as well as Gaza’s once-vibrant fishing industry. Israel occasionally bombs and shells Gaza and fires upon civilians going about their everyday activities, even during times when it is not conducting a full-scale assault.

Israel imposes severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza. Because of these restrictions, Gazans today suffer from poverty, malnutrition, disease (especially among children), and inadequate medical care. Israel has limited building supplies so severely that in mid-2016, nearly two years after the 51-day bombardment of Gaza in 2014, some 100,000 people in Gaza remained homeless, lacking even basic shelter.

Legal experts are nearly unanimous: Through its air, land, and sea blockade, Israel effectively has control over the citizens of Gaza. So, the siege of Gaza is a military occupation. For this reason, Israel is legally obligated to uphold—not harm—the rights of Gaza citizens as described in the Fourth Geneva Convention.