Husam Zomlot

January 2010

The Politics of International Post-Conflict Interventions

Working Paper

By Husam Zomlot, Former Research Fellow, The Dubai Initiative

International mobilization for the reconstruction of Gaza began shortly after the end of "Operation Cast Lead," Israel's three-week military offensive from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009, which caused unprecedented human loss and physical destruction, and aggravated an already calamitous humanitarian situation. Even before this war, the blockade imposed since June 2007 resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, as four out of five people in Gaza became dependent on food handouts. As the 1.5 million inhabitants of Gaza recently commemorated the first year since the start of the latest all-out war, the question that begs an answer is what are the causes of the current reconstruction deadlock?