Israeli policies, such as restrictions on the movement of goods and people, are the cause of the Palestinian economy being so low

The Israeli Response

According to Concern Worldwide US, what are the main reasons a country is poor?

Inequality

Conflict in the country

Poor healthcare systems

Lack of education

Lack of government support

Poor public infrastructure

Lack of jobs or livelihoods

Lack of access to clean water, hunger

Climate change and global health crises

Let’s analyze each of these elements with respect to Gaza:

Inequality

The claim made against Israel is that "Palestinians are not allowed to prosper."

The elements described below reflect that Palestinians are provided many opportunities to thrive, yet they often choose violence against Israel and the Jewish people.

These terrible choices, as explained by Concern Worldwide US, have led to one of the most impoverished locations on Earth.

Conflict in the country (i.e. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict)

Terrorism cripples the Palestinian economy.

The rejection of multiple peace offers with Israel by Hamas and Fatah leaders has prevented Palestinian prosperity and left them without a state.

Poor healthcare systems

Hamas has corrupted the healthcare system in Gaza.

Hospitals are being used as bases for terror groups and activities.

Ambulances are used to cover up transfers of Hamas militants and Israeli hostages inside Gaza.

Doctors cooperate with Hamas and use funds for building military bunkers instead of improving the healthcare system.

Lack of education

Hamas has corrupted the education system.

They use their education facilities for building bombs, missiles, and landmines rather than engineering clean water distillation plants.

They have converted schools into warehouses for creating and hiding weapons.

Jihad and extremist ideologies are taught at all ages to propagate terrorists.

There is an infamous video of a kindergarten graduation at the Al-Hoda preschool, which depicts the Palestinian children killing an IDF soldier and kidnapping a Jewish Orthodox civilian from his home with a loud explosion and gunfire sounds in the background.

Lack of government support

The elected government in Gaza is Hamas. Since 2007.

They apply governmental terrorization - stealing from the peasants to kill the innocents.

They have actively shot at hungry Palestinians and prevented their escape from danger zones in the Iron Swords War.

They have corrupted governmental and international support institutions like UNRWA.

According to the FBI, tens of millions of dollars of international support end up reaching Hamas.

Poor public infrastructure

They chose to invest in violence instead of infrastructure for their civilians.

Hamas boasts that they dug out pipes to create makeshift rockets to shoot at Israel.

Some of these rockets malfunction and as a result kill innocent Palestinians, like in the Al-Ahli Hospital incident, as was established independently by the US and by Israel.

Lack of jobs or livelihoods

As a result of rotten economic incentives, being a terrorist is the best-paying job generated by Hamas in Gaza.

Gazans who die in (or are imprisoned after) killing Jews for martyrdom get paid by the PA.

Israel, on the other hand, offers Palestinians jobs in Israel that pay much higher than their equals in Gaza.

This privilege has been abused by Palestinians to kill Israeli citizens and execute terror attacks in Israel

Lack of access to clean water & hunger

Almost all of the food and equipment donated by international support is stolen by Hamas once it enters the Gaza Strip.

Consistently in the Iron Swords War, thousands of tons of humanitarian aid from countries across the globe have been stolen by Hamas.

Climate change, global health crises

These are global phenomena and are not uniquely relevant to the conflict with Israel

From the media

Palestinian children at the Al-Hoda kindergarten perform a play about killing an IDF soldier and taking a civilian hostage on May 13, 2018. Taken from https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-preschoolers-stage-mock-killing-of-israeli-solider/

Resources

Conclusions

The Palestinian leadership is responsible for the awful state of its economy, while Palestinian leaders are among the richest people in the world. Despite many opportunities and aid given, there is evidence of severe misuse of funds to support terrorism rather than improving the lives of the Palestinian people.

The Israeli Response