Poverty stricken Gaza remains at center of conflict as services sputter and lawlessness rises | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Gaza, an impoverished and besieged sliver of land

AFP

The Gaza Strip, under fire from Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defence campaign unleashed on Wednesday, is an impoverished and overpopulated enclave ruled by the Islamist group Hamas. Some 1.6 million Palestinians live in the cramped territory spread over 362 square kilometres (140 square miles).