As I crossed the Erez crossing point from Israel into the Gaza Strip, my Israeli-Arab friend asked me to bring him some fish and chips on my return a few days later. “They are the best you will ever have,” he confidently told me. This was quite a claim to make to a Brit, but he turned out to be right. The recommended vendor was easy to find, with a blue and white boat, dolphins painted on the side, sticking out from his shop front. And the mound of chips topped with fingers of fried fish wrapped in paper were absolutely superb.

However, apart from this culinary delight, there are few other things that are enjoyable in this miserable, fenced-in enclave by the Mediterranean Sea. The Gaza Strip, measuring just 25 miles long and seven miles wide at its widest point, is home to over two million people and is one of the most depressing places I have ever visited.

When I last entered the huge airport-like terminal controlled by the Israeli Army at Erez five years ago, it was near-deserted and about to shut down for a long weekend holiday. I watched as the only other traveler, an old woman struggling with bulging bags, navigated through a single-person turnstile. I then hired a motorcyclist to speed me down a long caged walkway through the buffer zone into Palestinian territory.

The Strip was seized by Israel from Egypt in the 1967 war, but all Israeli troops and settlers left in 2005 as an attempt to improve security. However, when Hamas won elections the following year, they forced out their rivals and took total control of the terrain. This led to restrictions on the movement of goods and people by Egypt and Israel, leaving the residents trapped under the control of the hardline group.

Despite the dire situation, there is a semblance of normality in Gaza as people try to carry on with their lives. The bustling shops, malls, cafes, and restaurants give off a familiar Middle Eastern atmosphere. But this normality quickly fades away upon closer inspection.

I was staying at a seafront hotel, admiring the view of the sandy beach and fishing boats on the sparkling waters. However, I was warned by a local journalist not to go swimming there as the sewage is dumped into the sea. Due to chronic energy shortages and damaged infrastructure, a massive amount of raw sewage is pumped into the sea every day. Gaza also suffers from constant power cuts, poor public services, dirty water, and a lack of job opportunities.

The majority of energy in Gaza comes from Israel, but even the small contributions from the Strip’s own power plant rely on imported diesel. The health services heavily rely on the United Nations and charities, and patients in need of serious treatment require permission from Palestinian and Israeli officials to leave the Strip. All the while, the lack of jobs and hope continue to plague the residents. More than two-thirds of young adults are unemployed, and the majority of residents rely on external aid.

The border between Gaza and Israel used to allow tens of thousands of Palestinians to work in Israel, but it was sealed off after Hamas took control. This means that an entire generation has grown up without ever leaving the Strip or meeting an Israeli. These conditions provide fertile ground for Hamas to recruit “martyrs” for their cause.

Even fishing, a pastime that could offer some escape from the realities of Gaza, is caught up in the conflict. Israeli gunships shoot at fishing crews or confiscate boats if they breach the imposed 15-mile offshore limit. Near the port in Gaza City, I saw a graveyard of abandoned fishing boats that are unable to be repaired due to the economic blockade and restrictions on supplies.

It is no wonder that surveys have shown that half of Gazans want to leave this desolate place. It is also not surprising that the Gaza Strip has been the source of much hatred and violence in this troubled region.

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