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The blockade of Gaza. Is it legal?
Simply put; yes. Actually, in technical/legal terms, it is not a blockade per se since although Israel handed over all of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority in 2005, we retained control of the airspace and borders (including both land and sea borders). [Note: This, not incidentally, is one of the reasons that our claims of no longer occupying Gaza are relatively weak.] But if we never relinquished control of the borders and airspace, is it legally a blockade? Not really. The result is the same (at least as far as Hamas is concerned), but blockading our own coast is not the same as if we were blockading another sovereign state.
While there are many countries around the world who do not support the so-called blockade of Gaza, few except NGOs and 'interested parties' use the term 'illegal' to describe it.
b) Is Israel alone in the 'blockade' of Gaza?
No. While Israel controls the borders of Gaza, Egypt also controls its borders with Gaza and is a full participant in controlling the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza. It doesn't get much press, but Egypt is actually much more violent in the control of its borders with Gaza; shooting dozens of refugees from Africa trying to enter Israel and Gaza... and using lethal force against Palestinians trying to enter Sinai.
Read the seed for more.
