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Last update - 07:37 26/05/2009
'The Israelis have returned us to the 5th century'
By Avi Issacharoff
Tags: Operation Cast Lead, Gaza 

Hussam, a resident of Gaza City, is an eternal optimist. He expected good tidings to emerge from Sunday's cabinet meeting on the Gaza Strip's border crossings - namely, that due to American pressure, Israel had finally decided to reopen them.

But for now, Israeli policy remains unchanged: Numerous basic items, including certain types of food and drink, are barred from entering Gaza. According to Hussam, the banned list includes shoes, clothing, glassware and, of course, cement and steel.

To Gaza residents, it sometimes seems as if the situation in the Strip could not get any worse. But then, another week or month passes, and Hussam and his fellows realize that indeed, it could.
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The problems caused by the ongoing blockade have been exacerbated by the need to reconstruct Gaza following January's Operation Cast Lead. Some 20,000 houses were damaged during the fighting, and thousands were completely destroyed.

Still arguing

Yet Hamas and Fatah are still arguing over how to distribute the reconstruction money the international community promised to give the Palestinians.

The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority wants sole charge of these funds, but Hamas flatly refuses.

This may explain why there are few signs of reconstruction. Tent cities can still be found in northern Gaza, near Beit Lahiya and Jabalya, housing families whose homes have yet to be rebuilt. And many residents of Sajiyeh and Zeitoun, two Gaza City neighborhoods that suffered heavy damage, are still living with relatives or neighbors.

In southern Gaza, the lack of standard building materials has prompted a few residents to begin building houses out of mud. In a sense, this is a gimmick - but it attests to real distress.

"The Israelis have returned us to the fifth century," charged Hussam.

Meanwhile, Gazans' efforts to escape reality have led to a surge in addiction to painkillers: According to the local press, hundreds of Gaza residents are now getting high on a heavy-duty painkiller that is supposed to be used only to treat severe pain. Hamas, which rules the Strip, has ordered pharmacies not to sell the drug, but neither that nor its price tag - a few shekels for a single pill - has stopped the trend. Nor has Hamas been able to stop smugglers from bringing the pills in via tunnels from Egypt.

"Since the war in Gaza, the entire Strip has been living on these pills," said Mohammed, a Palestinian journalist.

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      1.   Intentional Ghettoization 03:02  |  Chris 26/05/09
      2.   From the 21st century to the 5th century... 03:05  |  Arnold 26/05/09
      3.   The number of houses that were damaged in Gaza is 2% of the total 03:11  |  stella 26/05/09
      4.   Fifth century Arab leadership in Gaza 03:18  |  Aussie Michael 26/05/09
      5.   Israeli Boot On The Gazan Neck 03:25  |  chet 26/05/09
      6.   Dislike for Israel 03:31  |  Iain 26/05/09
      7.   Pills 03:40  |  Marcel Pfister 26/05/09
      8.   Brave Gaza People... 08:31  |  Niva dos Santos 26/05/09
      9.   What about your Egyptian brothers??? 08:35  |  Ehud 26/05/09
      10.   Wrong, Hamas returned them to the 5th century 08:47  |  danny 26/05/09
      11.   i didnt know... 09:06  |  scallywag 26/05/09
      12.   Arnold, maybe you will understand what I mean 09:08  |  Zev Davis 26/05/09
      13.   Gaza was in the 4th century so this is an improvement 09:13  |  Baruch Gold 26/05/09
      14.   Better they should complain to their beloved Hamas 09:21  |  maurice 26/05/09
      15.   Just tell me why is the Egyptian border close ?.. 09:24  |  maurice 26/05/09
      16.   It seems that Hamas is the culprit... the bottleneck 09:32  |  Esther 26/05/09
      17.   Fifth century mentality 09:37  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/05/09
      18.   Major shift. 10:31  |  Colin 26/05/09
      19.   total rubbish.yemen is far poorer then gaza 11:14  |  harzion 26/05/09
      20.   Surely Hamas has returned them to 5th century 11:28  |  David Plane 26/05/09
      21.   Mud-Building 11:50  |  Stephen 26/05/09
      22.   Experts 12:13  |  Colin 26/05/09
      23.   Gaza back to 5th century 12:20  |  Fredy Ross 26/05/09
      24.   To@13 Baruch Gold. Riiight first time.They had the opportunity 15:49  |  Whiskey/Bravo 26/05/09
      25.   Food and Drink 16:37  |  David 26/05/09
      26.   Timr For The Ugly Truth 17:55  |  Kenstee 26/05/09
      27.   Timr For The Ugly Truth 17:55  |  Kenstee 26/05/09
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