Gaza population hits 1.4m

[bemildred]

RAMALLAH (West Bank) - THE population of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has passed 1.4 million people, an increase of nearly 40 percent over the past 10 years, an official Palestinian census published on Sunday said.

The census found that as of 2007 the population of the territory had reached 1,416,543 compared to 1,022,207 in 1997, with an estimated annual growth rate of 3.3 per cent.

'Assuming a stable growth during the coming years, the Gaza Strip population will double in 21 years,' said the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which carried out the census.

The average family size across Gaza has declined, however, from 6.9 household members to 6.5, according to the census.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/World/Story/STIStory_338794.html

[henank]

1. B-b-b-but

The genocide! What happened to it? I thought the Israelis were genociding the poor Palestinians? How come there are any left at all, let alone having grown to 1.4 million?

Not very good genociders those Israelis after all.

:sarcasm:

[Vegasaurus]

3. It's good to remind people who use that ridiculous word

to describe Gaza.

During genocides, the populations DECREASE, not exponentially INCREASE.

The Israelis **** at genocide.

[hack89]

2. One hell of a genocide. nt

[bemildred]

4. What Is Genocide?

The crime of genocide is defined in international law in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.

"Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Article III: The following acts shall be punishable:

(a) Genocide;

(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;

(c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;

(d) Attempt to commit genocide;

(e) Complicity in genocide.

http://www.genocidewatch.org/aboutgenocide/whatisit.html

[Behind the Aegis]

6. And no matter how many time you or the others post that legal defintion....

...not one of those things are being met.

[bemildred]

8. People seem to be interested in it.

It all hinges on intent, as the definition states. I didn't bring it up.

[oberliner]

5. How are so many people going to fit in such a small area?

If Gaza is already one of the most densely populated areas in the world, what will happen in 21 years when the population doubles?

[bemildred]

7. Well, Monaco has 16,754 people per sq/km, according to Wikipedia.

As long as they get free food, I don't see why it can't go up for some time yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density

[oberliner]

9. But Monaco only has 32K people

Seems a more tenable situation than one involving several million.

[bemildred]

10. But Monaco doesn't have free food.

It's sort of like Las Vegas, another unrealistic situation, but it's not like Gaza. I'm just saying the population density can get amazingly high, and offering evidence.

[oberliner]

11. I hear ya

Just seems like most of the countries on that list have some serious problems dealing with the population density situation - Monaco being an exception.

[bemildred]

14. Thanks. It comes back to what I've said before.

What are you going to do with all those people? The Palestinians are not the only people in the area with high birth rates. If you don't have an answer for that, you don't have an answer.

[Taitertots]

12. Israeli Genocide

Where are all the people bemoaning Israel for trying to genocide/destroy Gaza?
Looks like if you want to genocide someone first you leave them to populate exponentially. Then when you do attack them you take great efforts to minimize civilian casualties. Then when you have diminished their capacity to wage war against you, you initiate a cease fire.

If you want to resist an unjust oppressor you elect a government with the stated goals of genocide. Then you launch rockets at civilians. Then once victory is firmly out of reach you act bellicose and make unrealistic demands. Stand by demands of "right to invade" and reopening your arms trafficking routes at any cost to your the civilian population.

[azurnoir]

13. again some questions

my inner bean counter has been piqued some numbers just do not jibe with the comments here such as

The population of the impoverished coastal territory remains overwhelmingly young, with 48.3 per cent of residents under 15 years of age. In 1997 50.2 per cent of residents were under 15.

So if the population growth in Gaza is due to a prodigious birth rate amongst Palestinians wouldn't the percentage of those under 15 have increased not decreased? It makes me wonder if one or both of the censuses were inaccurate or if there has been an influx of Palestinians from elsewhere perhaps Jordan?

[bemildred]

15. It indicates a modest decline in recent years..

Given the economic conditions, that's not really surprising, but it's still very high. All those young people are going to affect things for decades to come. Think Boomer Generation here in the USA. The Israeli settlers also have very high birth rates, comparable to people in Gaza, and are essentially living on welfare too. Iran on the other hand, and various other muslim states, are coming down to the 2+ offspring per couple one expects in modernizing states, marrying non-cousins, giving up on the demand for a male heir, all of that. Saudi Arabia OTOH is in demographic deep shit too. My point is that there is trouble ahead, and not just for Palestinians, and the political classes have their heads deeply buried in the sand.

[azurnoir]

16. there is a lesson that could be learned from

mistakes the US made in Afghanistan in the early '90's concerning a very young and very impressionable population, by some both in Gaza and in Israel.

[bemildred]

17. Not a new lesson, either.

All those young people may be misinformed, but they are highly motivated.

[ohio2007]

18. That explains ; " World duped by Hamas's false civilian death toll figures "

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=260794&mesg_id=260794

Gaza; be fruitful and multiply

but stories posted say they are starving to death. It makes for another conundrum.

[Eryemil]

19. I don't know, you'd think people in such conditions would stop fucking

Or at least try and pull out once in a while. Of course, apart from joining the local terrorist cell I doubt there are many other testosterone outlets around.

:evilgrin: