On Sunday afternoon, a number of NFL teams released statements expressing their support for Israel.
Statement on the horrifying and senseless attacks on Israel from Mark, Zygi, the Wilf Family Ownership Group, and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Cowboys and the 49ers are now competing on Sunday Night Football on NBC during Week 5 of the NFL, but both games undoubtedly pale in contrast to the atrocities occurring in the Middle East.
We continue to pray for everyone impacted by tragedy Sunday night.
What is the Gaza Strip? Who controls it? Here’s what to know:
What is the Gaza Strip?
The term “Gaza Strip” refers to a tiny stretch of territory on the Mediterranean Sea sandwiched between Egypt and Israel. It is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the larger being the West Bank, which was occupied successively by the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire.
For over two decades following the establishment of Israel in 1948, Egypt ruled over Gaza. Israel conquered its Arab neighbours in the 1967 Six-Day War, and as a result, it now controls the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. It ruled the strip for the following 38 years and allowed the development of 21 Jewish villages.
Under domestic and international pressure, Israel removed its military personnel and some 9,000 settlers from Gaza in 2005, handing authority of the enclave over to the Palestinian Authority, which already had jurisdiction over some of the occupied West Bank.
It is currently “one of the world’s most densely populated territories,” according to Gisha, an Israeli nongovernmental organisation, with over 2 million Palestinians residing within around 140 square miles. The majority of Palestinians in Gaza are under the age of 19, but they have scant to no opportunities for socioeconomic advancement and little contact with the outside world.
Who governs and who controls it?
Ismail Haniyeh is the current head of Hamas, a violent Palestinian nationalist organisation that has frequently clashed with the West Bank-based Palestinian leaders that negotiated the Oslo Peace Accords. Following its victory in the 2006 elections, it seized control of Gaza. Elections have not been held since that time.
Israel has maintained a land, air, and sea embargo on Gaza since 2007 that has had a terrible impact on Palestinian residents despite appeals from the UN and human rights organisations. In order to defend its residents from Hamas, Israel claims that the embargo, which gives it control over Gaza’s borders and is also upheld by Egypt, is necessary.
Israeli officials refute the International Committee of Red Cross’s claim that the blockade is unlawful and in violation of the Geneva Convention. The embargo is one of the reasons why the U.N., numerous human rights organisations, and legal experts believe that Israel is still technically occupying Gaza militarily.
What is Hamas, and whom does it represent?
One of the two dominant political organisations in the Palestinian territory is Hamas. The organisation was initially a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which supports Islamist ideals and thinks that Islam should play a significant part in political life. It was founded in 1987 amid an uprising against Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.
Because of their attacks on Israel, which have included missile salvos and suicide bombings, Hamas has been declared a terrorist organisation by numerous nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Only certain nations, like New Zealand, classify Hamas’ armed wing as a terrorist organisation. Additionally, Hamas offers social services like healthcare at hospitals and education to the residents of Gaza.
According to Hamas, it is a liberation organisation that seeks to rid the Palestinians of occupation and recover a sizable portion of Israel. Due to its use of violence, it causes division among Palestinians and those who favour the establishment of a Palestinian state.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, one-third of Palestinians believe that the internal political rift between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza is the worst development to have occurred since 1948.
More than half of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, according to the same survey, prefer Hamas to the Palestinian Authority. Following a two-week war with Israel in 2021, Hamas gained support as more people perceived the organisation as defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Muslim sacred sites in East Jerusalem—roughly 75% of those surveyed.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Iran is a major supporter of Hamas and provides “funds, weapons, and training” to the militant organisation. Turkey has been accused of sponsoring Hamas’ terrorism, notably through money taken from Turkish government aid programmes, despite its insistence that it does so primarily on a political level.
What is it like living in Gaza?
Human Rights Watch compared the situation in Gaza to “an open air prison,” alluding to the movement restrictions Israel places on Palestinians there. Israel forbids Palestinians from entering or leaving the region “except in extremely rare cases, which include urgent, life-threatening medical conditions and a very short list of merchants,” claims B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation.
These limitations do not apply to Israelis, Jewish settlers, or foreigners, who are free to enter and exit Gaza. With the exception of one, which is only accessible to Palestinians with Israeli-approved permits, Israel has systematically closed all land border crossings from Gaza into Israel over the years.
According to the World Bank, Gaza’s economy is on the verge of collapse due to Israel’s 16-year blockade, which has severely restricted imports and almost all exports and resulted in unemployment rates above 40%. According to the U.N., more than 65% of the population lives below the poverty line, and 63% of Gaza’s population is classified as “food insecure” by the World Food Programme.
Children today are “living with the long-term psychological effects of constant exposure to violence,” according to a UN research that detailed an increase in mental health problems, including depression, among young people living in the Gaza Strip.
What we know about Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas
According to the Israeli military, a “significant number” of Israeli civilians and soldiers are being held captive in Gaza by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
FULL DETAIL HERE: What we know about Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas
Top 9 Best AI Investing Apps To Make Money 2023
With AI investment apps, the future of making money has arrived. Artificial intelligence is currently on everyone’s mind. What does this signify for the economy and the job market? People are using ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence platforms to save and make money in a variety of ways.
FULL DETAIL HERE: Top 9 Best AI Investing Apps To Make Money 2023
Top 10 Hot Female Martial Artists
More than just fighters in the ring, female martial artists are unquestionably more than just lovely faces. These women are exercising like athletes and developing the abilities and self-control necessary to triumph. Ask Ronda Rousey how frequently vanity is thrown out the window. You cannot enter there out of fear for what might occur.
FULL DETAIL HERE: Top 10 Hot Female Martial Artists
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