▁through ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁F ata h – H am as ▁Ag re ement , ▁but ▁the ▁agreement ▁failed . ▁According ▁to ▁Isra eli ▁anal yst ▁Am os ▁H arel , ▁Ham as , ▁which ▁failed ▁to ▁lift ▁the ▁block ade ▁for ▁years , ▁sought ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁protest ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁get ▁out ▁its ▁strateg ical ▁crisis , ▁as ▁it ▁found ▁an ▁armed ▁conflict ▁to ▁be ▁in effect ive . ▁ ▁The ▁Gaz a ▁St rip , ▁meas uring ▁ ▁long , ▁and ▁from ▁ ▁wide , ▁with ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 . 9 ▁million , ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dens ely ▁populated ▁places ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁It ▁is ▁often ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁" world ' s ▁largest ▁open - air ▁prison ". ▁The ▁territory ▁has ▁a ▁continuous ▁short age ▁of ▁food , ▁water , ▁power ▁and ▁medicine . ▁In ▁tal ks ▁with ▁Ang ela ▁Mer kel , ▁Isra eli ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Bin jamin ▁Net any ahu ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Palest ini ans ▁were ▁crash ing ▁the ▁f ence ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁' su ff oc ating ▁econom ically ', ▁a ▁situation ▁he ▁bl amed ▁on ▁Ham as . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁ 9 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁territory ' s ▁tap ▁water ▁was ▁und r ink able ▁because ▁of ▁se w age ▁poll ution ▁or ▁high ▁sal inity ▁levels , ▁forcing ▁Gaz ans ▁to ▁purchase ▁water ▁from