Having suffered through three wars over eight years, Gaza is in the midst of an ongoing eleven-year blockade imposed by Israel and an authoritarian Hamas government. Gaza City is a zone of major tension, making daily
life for its residents extremely difficult. Many public employees, whether they are doctors in the large hospitals or waste management supervisors in the garbage dump, have been working without pay for over seven years. And yet despite this, the provision of basic public services continues through the tremendous efforts of people trying to keep the city functioning.