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The Gaza Airport: How Israel Erases Palestinian Sovereignty By Controlling Travel of All Sorts

Published on 15.07.2024
Reading time: 5 minutes

The history of excluding transport and travel routes to and from Gaza, selectively managing them, and erasing Palestinian sovereignty traces back to before the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7, which ultimately led to Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.

On Friday May 17, the United States officially announced the opening of the “Gaza Floating Port,” a new gateway for humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. This announcement has sparked debate over the effectiveness of this maritime passage, given Israel’s insistence on cutting off essential land supply lines necessary for relief efforts. There are also speculations about the underlying motives for establishing the port, such as its potential role in facilitating precise Israeli military operations to free captives held by factions in Gaza, like the recent Nuseirat operation, or laying the groundwork for controlling gas fields in Gaza’s waters.

The history of excluding transport and travel routes to and from Gaza, selectively managing them, and erasing Palestinian sovereignty traces back to before the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7, which ultimately led to Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.

The creation of Gaza International Airport or, as Israel calls it, the Dahaniya Airport, and its subsequent destruction over the years until it was completely out of service and erased from Palestinian collective memory, can be seen as a poignant example of the deep crisis in understanding previous or potential peace processes. It reflects the challenges in establishing a sovereign Palestinian state parallel to Israel.

The Gaza Airport in the Oslo Accords and Its Partial Opening

During the negotiations of the Second Oslo Accord between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, it was decided to build an airport in Gaza to serve Palestinians wishing to travel, as an alternative to Egypt’s El Arish Airport and Israeli airports. In September 1994, the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat issued a presidential decree (No. 87-94) establishing the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority. The project included “building airports and establishing and operating Palestinian airlines.” Although the airport was supposed to open in May 1996, Israeli obstructions and delays prevented its timely inauguration.

Despite Israeli delays, construction continued in Rafah, southern Gaza, funded by Egypt, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Even with a partial opening and incomplete construction, President Yasser Arafat’s plane made the first landing at Gaza Airport on June 1, 1996. Weeks later, the first foreign plane, a Moroccan one carrying humanitarian aid, arrived. Fayez Zeidan, the head of the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority at the time, stated, “Palestinians are proud that the first plane to land on their land is an Arab plane.”

Operating the Airport Under Israeli Security Control

In late 1998, as part of the Wye River Memorandum signed by the PLO and Israel, the two sides agreed to officially open Gaza Airport. 

Israel continued to hinder the full operation of Gaza Airport by withholding radar and air traffic control equipment. Despite these challenges, airport officials insisted on operating flights with minimal available resources. Palestinian Airlines managed to operate flights to a limited number of countries with a small group of pilots and airport staff.

Palestinians did not have full control over their airport. The operational agreement stipulated Israeli control over security matters, including security checks, passport control, luggage inspection, and pre-approval of passenger lists. Several flights were prohibited, with President Yasser Arafat being the only exception to Israeli security procedures.

Despite all Israeli restrictions, there was a sense of positivity among Palestinians, as the airport provided a gateway to the world without the need to travel to neighboring airports. It also promised significant economic opportunities through trade with other countries.

Bill Clinton’s Visit to Gaza International Airport

On December 12, 1998, former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrived at Gaza Airport by helicopter, an alternative to his presidential plane. Tel Aviv viewed the landing of the U.S. presidential plane at Gaza Airport as a confirmation of Palestinian sovereignty. The Palestinian Authority organized an official reception for President Clinton, who cut a ceremonial ribbon to mark the re-opening of Gaza Airport, even though it had opened a month earlier.

Clinton’s visit to Gaza Airport caused significant turmoil in Tel Aviv, especially after Israeli press pressure and the anger generated by the image of the U.S. president’s arrival, symbolizing Palestinian sovereignty. Ironically, Bill Clinton was one of the most sympathetic U.S. presidents toward Israel, but his closeness to Israel did not ease the symbolic impact of his helicopter landing at Gaza International Airport.

Continuous and Systematic Closure of the Airport Until Its Final Closure

After the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September 2000, Israel closed the airspace over Gaza Airport. The closure persisted until the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit about a month later, involving Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, U.S. President Bill Clinton, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. They agreed to resume airport operations, but days later, Israel re-closed the airspace.

On December 1, 2001, Israeli tanks and bulldozers began destroying the runway at Gaza International Airport over several days. Israeli warplanes also bombed the control tower and destroyed buildings, claiming the attacks were retaliatory for attacks later claimed by Hamas. Despite President Yasser Arafat condemning the attacks, Israel held him responsible, stating, “He is not serious about taking tough measures against militants.”

Israeli Pretexts Aiming to Tighten the Noose

Following the Israeli closures of the airport, Salman Mahmoud Abu Halib, head of the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Israel aims, through the closure decision, to tighten the noose on Palestinians, for whom the airport is one of the most important gateways to the outside world.”

Since the proposal to establish an airport in Gaza, Israel has consistently obstructed and delayed its implementation under various pretexts. Armed operations inside Israel provided an opportunity to achieve its goal of undermining any component of Palestinian sovereignty, exacerbating the difficulties for citizens and hindering their economic growth.

For the same reasons, Israel continued to destroy the airport in the years following the Second Intifada, bombing it several times between 2006 and 2014, killing any chance of reviving it.

Perhaps Clinton’s visit, which angered Israelis in late 1998, highlights the complex relationship between Americans and Israelis in their respective approaches to investing in Palestinian humanitarian infrastructure, despite the lack of political recognition of Palestine. While Israel insists on dismantling these infrastructures, this creates ongoing challenges for the coordination policies between the two sides regarding the legitimate rights of Palestinians, in evolving forms to this day.

Airports worldwide are a fundamental component of any state. Israel has succeeded in eliminating the ability to create the primary component of a “Palestinian state.” This drives Palestinians, especially members of Fatah, to reconsider the strategic role of the Oslo Accords, based on realistic considerations of Israel’s complete rejection of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state. The factions collectively bear responsibility for the regression of gains, particularly when addressing fundamental initiatives that position Palestine and Palestinians on the global political map.