IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
While the 2014 Israeli assault on Gaza may feel like a distant memory to much of the world, the residents of the Gaza Strip still feel its effects daily, particularly in the wintertime. The assault damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, hospitals, schools, and key water and electricity infrastructures. Today, more than 100,000 Gazans are still homeless as a result of the attack.
on January 12, 2016
The Shati refugee camp in Gaza City has always been a symbol of poverty, a grey concrete jungle with 87,000 people packed into half a square kilometer, or about one fifth of a square mile. But now, overlooking the sewage-contaminated Mediterranean beachfront, the camp's houses are covered in vibrant colors.
on December 23, 2015
Ismail Abu Shebab, a shy 11-year-old taking a break from school, opened his mouth to speak - but the overhead roar of Israeli warplanes made his words nearly inaudible. As the aircraft came closer, Abu Shebab grew silent. "I'm ready to talk," he said after a few moments. Abu Shebab suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of Israeli bombing during the 2014 Gaza war.
on December 6, 2015
The group of girls, ponytailed and dressed in pink, stretched their arms out to the sides and pivoted onto their toes, trying desperately to hold still. Eagle-eyed, the instructor surveyed Gaza's latest crop of would-be ballerinas. Fifty girls aged five to eight are now enrolled in the ballet school at the Al-Qattan Center for Children in Gaza, making it one of the most popular classes the arts institute runs, under the watchful eye of a Ukrainian teacher.
on November 30, 2015
The explosives engineering department of the Gaza police force on Friday dismantled a 500 kilogram Israeli bomb left from last year's devastating military offensive in the besieged territory. A suspicious object was reported by locals in the rubble of a destroyed building in the Khuza area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
on October 30, 2015
Imad Abu Wadi barely slept after losing his right eye during the summer 2014 war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The 26-year-old, then engaged, was waiting eagerly for his wedding. But with a red, hollow eyeless socket, he imprisoned himself at home. "I was really suffering. I didn't go out to avoid running into someone who might say something to me," Abu Wadi said.
on October 28, 2015
Hollow buildings still scar the landscape of Gaza City's Shujaiyeh neighborhood, the site of some of the heaviest bombardments and fiercest clashes during last year's war between Israel and Hamas militants. But even amid the ruins of Shujaiyeh, Palestinian children are back at school and ready to learn.
on October 7, 2015
When Nidal Alareer, a 40-year-old father of five, returned to Shujaiya after Israel’s 51-day war on Gaza, he found all three of his houses destroyed. Though promises of reconstruction have proven to be hollow, his family was able to obtain materials to rebuild their home from the Qatari government. But the labor is back-breaking and until he and his young sons finish reconstruction, his family is scattered about Gaza with no money to rent apartments.
on September 30, 2015
Q&As
In his new book, Night in Gaza, venerable Norwegian physician Mads Gilbert offers a powerful firsthand account of what he experienced and saw working in Al-Shifa Hospital during the Israeli assault of 2014. The IMEU talked with Dr. Gilbert about being kept out of Gaza, his book, and how he’s able to remain an optimist.
on September 28, 2015