The situation for 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is worse now than it has ever been since the start of the Israeli militar y occupation in 1967. The current situation in Gaza is man-made, completely avoidable and, with the necessar y political will, can also be reversed.

Gaza has suffered from a long-term pattern of economic stagnation and plummeting development indicators. The severity of the situation has increased exponentially since Israel imposed extreme restrictions on the movement of goods and people in response to the Hamas take over of Gaza and to indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel. This repor t illustrates the gravity of the current situation across key sectors.