Some consider the Gaza Strip a paradise in the Middle East. Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lays on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore. Since 2007, the strip has been ruled by the militant group Hamas, which has fought four wars against Israel since taking power.
After Many Years, People in Gaza enjoy clean seawater. Clear blue water and clean, yellow sand are giving beachgoers in the Gaza Strip their first experience in years of clean and safe beaches.
Untreated waste has flowed directly into the waters off Gaza for years. The pollution has prevented Gazans from swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and enjoying low-cost fun. Government officials have said water treatment centers, paid for by international groups, are operating across the territory. This has reduced pollution to its lowest levels in many years.
One Palestinian said, "We couldn't come before because the sea was polluted and if we did, our children used to come back home with viruses and skin diseases.” The mother of four continued, "Today the area is clean and the sea is clean. We felt as if we were in another country.”
Many millions of cubic meters of untreated waste used to pour into the sea every day. The long sandy beaches now are almost empty of red flags that warn people against swimming because of the pollution. This is why some local residents love it.
People can now sit around plastic tables at the water’s edge with children playing with rubber swimming equipment. In some areas, horse owners even give their animals a cooling sea bath.
The terrorist group Hamas runs the Environment Quality and Water Authority. It is said that the waste poured into the sea has now been partly treated. That makes sixty-five percent of the beaches safe and clean. The territory’s rulers have plans to expand that.
The director of environmental resources said, “The summer season in the Gaza Strip will be relatively safe compared to previous years because of the noticeable improvement of the quality of seawater.”
The Gaza strip, part of ‘The State of Palestine’, is small with an area of 139 square miles (360 sq.km). It is home to 2.3 million Palestinians. Local and international records suggest most Gazans are poor and the unemployment rate in the territory is high.
When Hamas took over Gaza, Egypt and Israel largely closed their border crossings with Gaza, on the grounds that Fatah and PA forces had fled the Strip and were no longer able to provide security on the Palestinian side. Egypt was worried that Hamas control of Gaza would increase Iranian influence.
Both Israel and Egypt enforce border restrictions on Gaza because of these security concerns. However, neither of these countries is responsible for the way the local Arabs take care of their land.
If Palestinians made a conscious effort to live peacefully then world harmony would encourage tourism. Tourists would bring money. These extra funds would make Gaza a better place to live while reducing unemployment.
It is a real shame law-abiding citizens are suffering for the Hamas regime.
Have a wonderful day!
Prof. Carl Boniface
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