The home-leaving experience of Gaza Envelope residents following the May 2021 Gaza War

Abstract

ABSTRACT Since Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and the consequent seizure of power by Hamas, there has been an ongoing military confrontation between Israel and the Islamist terror organisation. Evacuation of civilians from Israeli border localities (known as the Gaza Envelope) during such confrontations has become a bone of contention between the local residents and the government as the security situation deteriorated and the danger to residents’ lives increased. Using 30 semi-structured in-depth interviews, this article examines the home-leaving experience of Gaza Envelope residents during the May 2021 Gaza War, with reference to interviewees’ mindsets, feelings, and behaviour at the time. Findings show a crisis of trust among those who left, primarily towards the state and its institutions, and secondly towards the social solidarity that used to be a cornerstone of Israeli society.