Hamas, Israel, Gaza & The 18 Year Suffocation That Led to Oct 7th with Dr. Zachary Foster

There is a common story that is told about Gaza that goes something like this:

Israel dismantled its settlements and withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Gaza was then free to govern itself, make peace with Israel, and develop what could have become a “Singapore on the Mediterranean.” Instead, Palestinians elected a terrorist organization, Hamas, which began firing rockets at Israel and building terror tunnels.

In this episode of The Thin Veil, Ezra welcomes Dr. Zachary Foster, historian of Palestine and PhD in Near Eastern Studies, to deconstruct some of the common narratives and assumptions surrounding Gaza in the years between Israel’s 2005 withdrawal and the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Did Israel actually leave Gaza? What did the 2005 disengagement mean for Palestinian sovereignty? And did Israel simply end its occupation—or change the way that occupation operated?

We explore:

Israel's 2005 disengagement from Gaza and what control Israel continued to exercise afterward

The 2006 Palestinian elections and why Hamas won

The escalating conflict between Hamas and Fatah and the 2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza

The origins and impact of Israel's blockade and siege

Gaza's economy, unemployment, electricity, water and sewage systems

Israel's policies governing the flow of goods and calories into Gaza

Hamas as both a political organization and governing authority