Footnotes in Gaza

Synopsis

Rafah, a town at the southernmost tip of the Gaza Strip, is a squalid place. Raw concrete buildings front rubbish-strewn alleys. The narrow streets are crowded with young children and unemployed men. Situated on the border with Egypt, swaths of Rafah have been reduced to rubble. Rafah is today and has always been a notorious flashpoint in this most bitter of conflicts.

Buried deep in the archives is one bloody incident, in 1956, that left 111 Palestinian refugees dead, shot by Israeli soldiers. Seemingly a footnote to a long history of killing, that day in Rafah - coldblooded massacre or dreadful mistake - reveals the competing truths that have come to define an intractable war. In a quest to get to the heart of what happened, Joe Sacco arrives in Gaza and, immersing himself in daily life, uncovers Rafah, past and present. Spanning fifty years, moving fluidly between one war and the next, alive with the voices of fugitives and schoolchildren, widows and sheikhs, Footnotes in Gaza captures the essence of a tragedy.

As in Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde, Joe Sacco's unique visual journalism has rendered a contested landscape in brilliant, meticulous detail. Footnotes in Gaza, his most ambitious work to date, transforms a critical conflict of our age into intimate and immediate experience.

Summary

Chapter 1: A Foot in Gaza

* Introduces the author, Joe Sacco, a war correspondent and artist, who travels to Gaza to witness the lives of its inhabitants under Israeli occupation.
* Describes the suffocating poverty, violent clashes, and daily struggles faced by Gazans.
* Real example: Sacco interviews a young woman named Nawal, who has lost her home and husband to Israeli airstrikes.

Chapter 2: The Closed Zone

* Explores the history of Gaza, from the British Mandate to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
* Sacco interviews Israeli officials and Palestinian civilians to provide different perspectives on the region's past and present.
* Real example: Sacco visits the Deir el-Balah camp, where he meets a family whose home is surrounded by Israeli checkpoints.

Chapter 3: The Elephant and the Ant

* Delves into the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the occupation, settlements, and the use of violence.
* Sacco analyzes the different narratives and motivations of both sides.
* Real example: He interviews an Israeli soldier who discusses the psychological toll of serving in Gaza.

Chapter 4: The Martyr

* Focuses on the phenomenon of Palestinian martyrdom, exploring the reasons and consequences of suicide bombings.
* Sacco meets with family members of suicide bombers and discusses the impact of their deaths.
* Real example: He interviews the mother of Khalil al-Hams, a suicide bomber who killed four Israelis.

Chapter 5: The Outcast

* Examines the issue of collaboration with Israel, which is considered treasonous by many Palestinians.
* Sacco interviews a Palestinian who worked for the Israeli civil administration.
* Real example: He meets with former collaborators who are now shunned by their community.

Chapter 6: The Siege

* Describes the economic and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, due to the Israeli blockade.
* Sacco witnesses the scarcity of food, water, and electricity.
* Real example: He interviews a Gazan woman who struggled to provide for her family.

Chapter 7: The Waiting Room

* Explores the psychological and emotional toll of living under occupation.
* Sacco talks to Gazans who are traumatized by violence, poverty, and uncertainty.
* Real example: He meets with a man who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Chapter 8: The End of the Line

* Concludes the book by reflecting on the long-term consequences of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
* Sacco questions the hope for a peaceful resolution and the future of Gaza.
* Real example: He recounts his final encounter with a Gazan family who has lost everything.