On October 7, Gaza broke out of prison

What the images of the Gaza border fence coming down meant for Palestinians.

Palestinians break into the Israeli side of Israel-Gaza border fence after gunmen infiltrated areas of southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023. (Reuters: Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa)

by Mariam Barghouti, Al Jazeera, Oct 14, 2023

In the early morning hours of Saturday, October 7, Palestinians across the West Bank woke up to the sound of explosions.

No one really knew what was happening until reports started trickling in that fighters from Gaza had taken control of Beit Hanoun crossing – the only one through which Gaza residents may reach the rest of historic Palestine on the extremely rare occasions the occupier allows them to.

Soon information appeared on social media that the wall that Israel had erected around the Gaza Strip to keep its 2.3 million people permanently imprisoned had been breached.