Adam Tooze thought we might better understand what's happening as Israel takes aim at Gaza and Gazans if we saw this image. Two point two million people live crowded into Gaza, many of them refugees from earlier land appropriations by the Israeli state.
The area placed under siege by Israel is roughly the size of Manhattan, which I know is walkable in its entirety. That puts a lot of things in context, like Israel’s order to people in the north of Gaza to move south to avoid incoming bombardment. That is hard to imagine given the whole area is so densely populated (and bombed; hospitals in Gaza now report a patient a minute coming through while they run out of supplies).
Apparently also, as many Gazans are trying to escape in a southerly direction, Israel has bombed the few roads. Or that report may be the "fog of war." We won't know for awhile.
And in any case, the southern border with Egypt is closed to Palestinians (and others) trying to escape the war. Gaza remains a deadly prison.
Erudite Partner is on Martha's Vineyard island off Massachusetts at the moment. When I told her that I'd be posting this, she reminded: "Yes, Gaza is the same size as the Vineyard."
The NYTimes speculates that Prime Minister Netanyahu will be hesitant to launch his offensive while Biden is on the ground in Israel tomorrow. I am not sure Netanyahu is that predicable or cautious.
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