Publication
Omar Shaban Ismail · SWP Berlin · 2017
Written for the SWP Berlin, this 2017 policy paper argues that the Fatah-Hamas rapprochement brokered by Egypt offers the EU a rare opportunity to engage on Gaza. It calls for simultaneous action on lifting the blockade, advancing reconciliation, and alleviating the humanitarian crisis before Gaza collapses into chaos.
Written for the SWP Berlin, this 2017 policy paper argues that the Fatah-Hamas rapprochement brokered by Egypt offers the EU a rare opportunity to engage on…
Although the UN report of 2012 projected that Gaza would be uninhabitable by 2020, Gaza is likely to collapse into a state of chaos domestically and renewed military confrontation with Israel much earlier. Gaza's current reality is shaped by the aftermath of military clashes between Israel and Palestinian groups, the tightening of the blockade by Israel in 2007, the closure of the Rafah Crossing by Egypt, and the international community's no-contact policy towards Hamas.
This has created a situation of isolation, in which the infrastructure as well as the social and political fabrics in the Gaza Strip have suffered. Gaza's once export-oriented economy is now largely defunct, with the population impoverished and dependent on foreign aid. These factors pose serious threats to domestic stability, to Palestinian unity, and to the stability of the sub-region.
The current Fatah-Hamas rapprochement, brokered by Egypt, offers a window of opportunity for the EU and the international community to engage constructively. Europeans should use this moment to advance three parallel tracks: alleviating the humanitarian crisis, advancing Palestinian reconciliation, and lifting the Israeli blockade.
Immediate intervention by the EU is needed to prevent further deterioration. Without addressing Gaza's economic isolation, any political settlement between Hamas and Fatah will remain fragile. The EU can condition normalized relations with Hamas on concrete steps toward democratic governance, while simultaneously pressing Israel to allow economic activity and trade.
Gaza's economic potential — including its offshore gas reserves, agricultural land, fishing sector, and skilled workforce — remains largely unrealized due to the blockade. Unlocking this potential requires not only lifting restrictions but also investing in governance capacity and institution-building.
The rapprochement between Fatah and Hamas offers Europeans the opportunity to engage with a unified Palestinian interlocutor, which is a precondition for meaningful progress on both economic and political fronts. Europeans should seize this moment rather than wait for perfect political conditions that may never materialize.
Topic: Gaza Economy — Fatah-Hamas rapprochement · European role — Text © SWP Berlin — archived here with attribution to the source. — Original source — PDF