Publication

This policy brief looks at the role of poverty as a motivating factor for the 2014 conflict in Gaza. The author argues that depressed standards of living, a high unemployment rate, a young demographic along with Israel’s blockade have resulted in frustration within the population and fueled the motivations for pursuing conflict as a solution to their economic plight. The author concludes with policy recommendations for improving the economic situation of Gaza and argues that by raising the standard of living in Gaza, the cost of conflict increases and reduces the likelihood of the population pursuing violence.