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Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/1719506/middle-east
15 Years after Israeli Withdrawal, Gazans Frustrated by Lack of Progress
(Arab News-Saudi Arabia) Hazem Balousha - Palestinians rejoiced at the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, but that optimism has turned to frustration at the subsequent deterioration in the quality of Gaza residents' lives. "Our reality is worse than it was before the Israeli withdrawal. What have we done since?" asked farmer Saad Al-Farra. "We fought, divided, and dispersed, and our youth scattered and emigrated. And many of them died in the sea (trying) to escape from Gaza....Besieged by our own division and disagreement, everything has deteriorated - in all aspects of life. There is no work or electricity." "It was possible to (deal with) the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in a better way," said professor of political science Mukhaimer Abu Saada. "But what the Palestinians did was the exact opposite. They devoted themselves to internal battles." Political analyst Hani Habib said, "We showed the world our inability to manage ourselves by ourselves and the experience of governance in Gaza is the greatest proof."