This month marks three years since the militant Islamic group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip. The event led Israel to impose a blockade on Gaza. Israel’s goal was to prevent weapons and other materials that could be used for weapons from entering the Gaza Strip. But it was also to pressure and topple Hamas, which is backed by Iran and whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
The recent attack by Israeli commandos on a flotilla carrying aid and activists to Gaza has drawn attention to the blockade. Within Israel, questions are being asked about whether it has been effective.
In one of Gaza’s markets, there are few signs that a blockade even exists.