Here’s some background,
Following the
withdrawal of Israeli troops from
Gaza in 2005, the terrorist organization
Hamas emerged as the victor in the 2006 Palestinian elections.
Israel and the
Middle East Quartet (the
United States,
Russia,
United Nations, and European Union) subsequently imposed economic sanctions on Gaza. Three conditions were set to lift these economic sanctions: Hamas must renounce violence against Israel, recognize Israel, and honor all previous agreements between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority (PA).
In June 2007, Hamas staged a coup and seized control of Gaza from the PA. To prevent smuggling and the infiltration of terrorists, Israel and
Egypt tightened their respective border crossings and placed restrictions on shipping. Though Israel is routinely condemned for enforcing the blockade, critics usually ignore the role of Egypt, which must cooperate to close the southern end of the Gaza Strip. In October 2014, and then again in March 2015, for example, Egypt demolished dozens of homes along its border with Gaza to create a buffer zone to stop smugglers and extremists from crossing in either direction.
JVL