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Gaza hopes fade after withdrawal

13/08/06

One year after Israel's pull out from the Gaza strip, the mood in Palestine is one of crushed hopes as restrictions continue to hamper development of the area and limit Palestinian ambition.

"We had withdrawal, but we don't have freedom. It is now clear, one year after the departure of Israeli forces that the occupation is continuing," Hani Habib, a journalist and political analyst, told AFP.

Israel still maintains control of Gaza's territorial waters and airspace. Military checkpoints hamper freedom of movement of people and goods inside the Palestinian territory.

Israel regularly closes the terminal at Rafah - the only gateway to the outside world from the Palestinian territories without going through Israel - since Hamas won the parliamentary elections earlier this year.

"Today Gaza Strip is like a giant prison where it is impossible to leave or enter without Israeli authorisation," Younes-al Jrau, a lawyer and rights activist, told AFP.

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