Gush Katif was an Israeli settlement located in the far south of the Gaza Strip. It was established in the late 1970s and eventually had a population of 8600. The Israeli government unilaterally removed all Gaza settlments, including Gush Katif

Gush Katif

Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...

, in August 2005.

Controversy in Israel

The action proved controversial inside Israel. Settlers argued they had a historic right to the land and provided an important defense buffer against attacks by Palestinians. The conservative government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon argued that occupying Gaza was too costly in both money and lives. He believed Israel had to concentrate its armed forces in order to maintain control of the West Bank.

Sharon’s withdrawal did not advance the peace process because, from the Palestinian perspective, the unilateral pullout took place without negotiation on wider issues affecting both sides. NPR addressed this issue in a Q&A about Israel’s pullout from Gaza

History after settler withdrawal

After the Israeli withdrawal of settlers, the Palestinian Authority took control of Gaza. On January 25, 2006, Hamas won parliamentary elections in both Gaza and the West Bank. Israel, the U.S. and a number of European governments refused to recognize Hamas’ election victory and imposed an economic blockade on Gaza. During June 2007, an internal civil conflict between Hamas and Fatah resulted in Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip, while Fatah ruled the West Bank.

In May 2011 both parties agreed to reconstitute a united Palestinian government and hold elections by May 2012.

Former Gush Katif land today

At the time of the Gush Katif withdrawal, Israeli authorities destroyed the settler’s homes and much of the infrastructure. Palestinians dismantled most of what remained, scavenging for cement, rebar and other construction materials. Today a few buildings and the exterior structure of hothouses are all that remain.

“We had to rebuild everything,” said Mohammad Thuraya, a Hamas official now in charge of the area.

On the former Gush Katif land, Hamas built Asda (Echo) City, which contains Hamas’ TV and radio station. Nearby, Palestinian farmers grow apples, citrus and other crops, using drip irrigation. With the financial support of Gulf Arab states, Gazans built a recreation center completed with picnic areas, a large swimming pool and water slide.

External links

• Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/arab-spring-gaza-egypt-mubarak-tahrir-square