The following is a commentary I wrote for the NACIS catalogue for a series of featured maps.
In recent years, detailed online maps have become central to conflict reporting at the Swiss daily “Neue Zürcher Zeitung”. The Gaza war is no exception. Unlike the war in Ukraine, where precise troop movements capture readers' interest, the Israel-Palestine conflict calls for diverse thematic maps that illuminate various facets of an intractable situation. This atlas presents five such maps.
In their sequence, the maps reflect the progression of the fifth Gaza War. We begin by focusing on the areas around the Gaza Strip, identifying the locations and counts of those killed or kidnapped in the Hamas attack in October 2023. Next, we examine the Gaza Strip itself, seeking answers in its geographic and political isolation. Then, in November, the ground offensive starts. Israeli troops enter Gaza, ordering Palestinians in area after area to evacuate to a small strip of arid land. As the war continues, the destruction from shelling grows. Entire neighborhoods are levelled to the ground and a humanitarian crisis unfolds: hospitals cease to function, and a diesel import ban disrupts electricity, communications, and water supplies.
The Israel-Palestine conflict is a conflict fuelled by maps. Lines drawn by colonizing powers have destroyed livelihoods and broken promises. And yet, I have hope that maps can redeem their function as a helpful medium. In an era of information overload, maps have the capacity to convey complex geographic realities without emotional manipulation. Photographs capture human suffering but often remain anecdotal. Words alone cannot convey the full picture. If created with care, maps offer the potential to show the horrors of war while providing clear and educational information.
How can we create with care? Mapmaking involves numerous small decisions that culminate in a complete picture. For instance, in these maps, red marks both those killed by Hamas and the destruction in Gaza caused by Israeli forces. The term "humanitarian zone" is quoted, reflecting Israeli designation. And the base map shows every house, reminding the reader of human presence. By attending to these layered decisions, maps can incorporate and convey varied perspectives on a conflict frequently depicted with bias and oversimplification.