Policies for Successful U.S. Foreign Aid in the Gaza Strip

Restrictions by the Israeli government and Hamas on beneficiaries’ livelihoods in Gaza are decreasing the long-term impact of US foreign assistance. A close look at humanitarian operations in Gaza shows that the Israeli government and Hamas have cut or are systematically cutting off all livelihood strategies, rendering development assistance futile. This paper uses a Sustainable Livelihoods Framework based on the concept of occupation/Hamas “chokepoints” to support the argument above. It then outlines three policies that are likely to improve the situation.