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Turning Point: Gaza Blockade

On 26 January 2006, a significant shift in the balance of power began. Newly victorious Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the future of the Palestinian government.

The surprise triumph of Hamas in the legislative elections shattered four decades of Fatah's rule.

This moment rapidly became a significant turning point in Palestinian politics, causing the splitting of the West Bank and Gaza Strip between Fatah and Hamas, and the indefinite Israeli blockade of Gaza.

But how exactly did it lead to Israel's implementation of a land, air, and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip? A siege confining 2.2 million Palestinians in the world's largest "open-air prison"?
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