Two Decades of Failure in Gaza

Cascading errors compound threats to Israelis & Palestinians

(Israeli strikes in Gaza City, September 14th, 2025 [Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu])

Since Ariel Sharon pulled the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) out in 2005, Israel’s allies have made a series of catastrophic policy mistakes on Gaza.

While recognition of Palestinian statehood and allegations of genocide dominate headlines, key issues facing Gaza, Israel and the wider region go unaddressed.

Democracies cannot ignore these fundamental issues, which must be tackled. In summary, here are the six main failures of the past two decades.

Hamas: Under heavy international pressure, Israel withdrew its armed forces and settlements from Gaza in 2005. Yet instead of the Palestinian Authority taking over democratic institutions, which were then expected to form the nucleus of a self-governing Palestinian state, a terrorist organization took control of Gaza, where it has remained the pre-eminent local authority ever since.