Israel no longer occupies Gaza. It withdrew in 2005.

Israel's occupation of Gaza did not end in 2005; it escalated. Since 2007, Israel's land, air, and sea blockade has imprisoned over two million Palestinians in one of the most densely populated places on earth. Israel controls the movement of people and goods, and dictates access to electricity, fuel, the internet, medicine, construction materials, and even the population's calorie intake. The result, even before the genocide, was that around 80% of the population depended on humanitarian aid, nearly half the workforce was unemployed, and around two-thirds of Palestinians lived in poverty.

Under international law, occupation does not require "boots on the ground," only effective control. Removing settlements and military bases in 2005 did not end the occupation because Israel retained effective control over Gaza through siege, surveillance, and repeated military assaults that, even before the genocide, killed thousands and destroyed homes, schools, and hospitals.

That this myth is still being debated despite Israel's ongoing genocide reveals the level of dehumanization Palestinians face. Israel has killed over 75,000 Palestinians, forcibly displaced nearly all 2.1 million residents, starved the entire population, and destroyed or damaged over 80% of Gaza's buildings. Even the "boots on the ground" myth has collapsed during the genocide: Israeli forces controlled 75% of Gaza by July 2025. What is that if not occupation?

The myth that Gaza is no longer occupied is further debunked by the fact that Israel and its allies continue to determine the future of the Palestinian people. When Hamas won the 2006 elections, Israel, with the backing of key Western powers, imposed a siege on Gaza that punished the entire population. Now, amid an ongoing genocide, plans such as the "Board of Peace" outline Gaza's governance, reconstruction, and security without Palestinians at the table. This represents imposed imperial control and the continued denial of Palestinians' right to self-determination.

The claim that Israel no longer occupies Gaza has been unanimously rejected by the international community. This includes all major UN bodies, major international humanitarian and human rights organizations, and even Israel's closest allies, including the United States and the European Union. In 2024, the International Court of Justice, the world's top court, reaffirmed its 2004 ruling that Gaza remains occupied and declared that the broader occupation system is illegal and must end.

The claim that Israel "withdrew" from Gaza is typical Israeli propaganda, shifting blame onto Palestinians in order to absolve Israel of its crimes and entrench a system of permanent occupation. As legal scholar Noura Erakat explains, Israel has distorted international law for its own benefit, treating Gaza as a distinct legal category: exercising total domination while denying all the responsibilities of an occupying power.

This is a colonial playbook. Apartheid South Africa created Bantustans, nominally "self-governing" territories, while controlling their borders, resources, and populations. The international community rejected those fictions. Gaza is no different.