Is the blockade on the Gaza Strip a blockade of stomachs or a blockade of minds? Are store shelves empty of goods or are library shelves devoid of modern Arabic books and newspapers? Does the blockade on Gaza — which was imposed by the United States, Israel and most European nations after Hamas took control of the strip by force of arms in 2007 — prevent the organization's ministries, institutions and schools from development and knowledge, and leave the arena open for the ideological financier, who maintains a religious vision, to implement its agendas?

Crossings

Raed Fatouh, the director of the Coordination Committee of Crossings in the Gaza Strip, speaking to Al-Monitor at his office at the Ministry of National Economy, said that the blockade on the Gaza Strip has never been a blockade on food. Staple food items such as sugar, flour and milk were never stopped from entering. Although there was a blockade on certain types of chocolate and snack foods, such as chips, even these materials were allowed to enter after the incident involving the Turkish Marmara ship in October 2009. He also pointed out that medicine was not prevented from entering the Gaza Strip.

He added that three of Gaza's six border crossings are currently operational. These include the Rafah crossing for those traveling from Gaza to Egypt and the outside world, the Karam Abu Salem commercial crossing connecting Gaza to Israel — through which goods from throughout all the world are brought into Gaza — and the Beit Hanoun crossing (Erez crossing) between Israel and the Gaza Strip.