Home to nearly two million people, the Gaza Strip presents a unique policy challenge. Nominally independent and governed by a Hamas regime, Gaza is cut off from the rest of the Palestinian polity in the Palestinian Authority-ruled sections of the West Bank. The territory has become a launching pad for attacks against Israel, creating a security nightmare. But retaliatory IDF campaigns, and onerous Israeli, Egyptian, and Palestinian Authority restrictions, as well as Hamas neglect, have all contributed to a humanitarian catastrophe. Access to electricity and clean water are severely limited, freedom of movement is curbed, and many social services previously sponsored by the United States have been cut off or significantly curtailed. All of these factors combine to create a situation in which the recurrence of a broader conflict between Israel, Hamas, and other extremist groups in Gaza is increasingly likely.