Yousef Asfour

“We, the Palestinians, are losing our shadow!” These are the words of 32-year-old Sanaa abo Gazal when I asked her to describe what life is like today in Gaza, the world’s largest prison. The people there simply cannot get out from under the 13-year siege imposed by Israel and Egypt. “They are waiting for their soul to come out of their body,” Sanaa says. “Two million are under siege. Two million are in curfew. No food. No electricity all day. No water every week. Some of us are waiting for the mercy of the Gulf states, dreaming of having the $100 from Qatar.”

The 1st of July is the date of Israel’s 1967 annexation of the Jordan valley. What does it mean? If we ask president Donald Trump he will say: “The annexation is good for the Palestinians because there will soon be a Palestinian state.” If we ask Benjamin Netanyahu, he will say: “The annexation is great for Israel. It will add 33 percent of the area of the West Bank to the state of Israel.” If we ask the Arab leaders, some will keep silent and some will support Netanyahu. But if you ask Palestinians, we already rejected it, and here is why.

In Gaza, we understand what being under a blockade is like. More than two million people have lived under siege for over ten years, it is one of the most crowded places in the world and has experienced three wars that have destroyed infrastructure including hospitals and health centres.