By: Dr. Raed Muhammad Hillis.
(Exclusively for al-Zaytouna Centre).
A new academic paper issued by Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations, titled “Transformations in the Economic Geography of the Gaza Strip and Their Implications for Food Security and Economic Sustainability,” and authored by Dr. Raed Muhammad Hillis, examines the forced structural transformations in the economic geography of Gaza Strip (GS) during the genocide (2023–2025), their profound reconfiguration of the Strip’s spatial structure and productive sectors, and the resulting implications for food security and economic sustainability.
The study demonstrates that the imposition of military control lines sharply reduced the geographic space available for habitation and economic activity, with restricted and prohibited areas accounting for approximately 64% of GS’s total area. Meanwhile, field estimates indicate that only about 9% of the Strip’s total area remained viable for habitation, reflecting severe spatial contraction resulting from extensive destruction and the diminished capacity of urban areas to accommodate the population.
The study found that this spatial contraction coincided with extensive deterioration of the productive base, particularly the agricultural sector, which suffered widespread structural destruction.
It further revealed extensive destruction of the economic system, affecting 96% of arable agricultural land and 92% of economic facilities, thereby bringing the local economy to near-total paralysis.
Moreover, declining employment opportunities and rising unemployment contributed to the expansion of poverty. Although poverty rates had already exceeded 63% before the outbreak of the war, conditions subsequently extended beyond conventional poverty to acute levels of famine and food insecurity. Meanwhile, total consumption in GS declined by about 80%, reflecting the severe deterioration in household purchasing power.
The study also examined the humanitarian and environmental consequences of spatial contraction and continued forced displacement. At least two-thirds of the population, about 1.4 million people, were living in approximately one thousand displacement sites under severely overcrowded conditions. This was accompanied by a sharp deterioration in water, sanitation and waste-management systems.
The study concluded that the economic-geographic transformations in the GS have produced a forced and profound restructuring of its spatial, demographic and economic landscape. They have constrained the population’s ability to effectively utilize land and natural resources, while causing widespread destruction of the agricultural sector and severe disruption of industrial and commercial activity. Consequently, unemployment and poverty have risen, accompanied by expanding food insecurity and growing dependence on external assistance.
Moreover, the study emphasized that continued geographic restrictions and field control have further weakened the GS’s development base, constrained prospects for economic recovery, and entrenched structural dependence on external assistance. As a result, these conditions threaten sustainable food security and limit prospects for long-term recovery.
The study proposed a set of measures to strengthen economic resilience, including restructuring agricultural and livestock production within the areas that remain effectively available; expanding vertical and hydroponic farming; rehabilitating agricultural wells and equipping them with solar power systems; and establishing integrated livestock and poultry production units. It further called for revitalizing the industrial and commercial sectors and supporting small enterprises through small, flexible industrial and craft clusters, nonprofit microfinance programs, and rapid-recovery grants. In addition, it recommended developing digital infrastructure and expanding opportunities for remote work.
The study also recommends expanding temporary employment and “cash-for-work” programs in labor-intensive activities, including debris removal, waste management and rubble recycling. It further calls for targeted social safety nets; improved water and waste management in displacement camps; mobile water treatment and desalination units; and comprehensive programs to control rodents and prevent epidemics.
Moreover, it calls for intensified international efforts to lift geographic and field restrictions, thereby ensuring safe and unimpeded access to agricultural land and vital resources and restoring productive capacity. It also recommends launching an urgent national plan for reconstruction and early economic recovery, investing in sustainable and alternative infrastructure, adopting a national food security strategy suited to the shrinking geographic space, and integrating humanitarian relief with employment and economic development programs.
| Click here to download: >> Academic Paper: Transformations in the Economic Geography of the Gaza Strip and Their Implications for Food Security and Economic Sustainability … Dr. Raed Muhammad Hillis (Arabic)  (46 pages, 1.4 MB) |
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