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The Israeli human rights group, Btzelem, today released a report claiming that the majority of Palestinians killed during last winter’s fighting between Israel and Hamas were innocent civilians. According to Btzelem, of the almost 1400 Palestinians killed in the fighting, 773 did not take part in the hostilities. Another 330 were combatants and almost 250 others were Hamas policemen killed when Israel attacked police stations.

The Israeli army disputes these figures, saying the vast majority of Palestinians killed were involved in the fighting.

Since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in June 2007, Israel has severely limited the entry of goods into Gaza. As the blockade of Gaza continues, Palestinians in Gaza are deepening their religious identity. Some female students have been told to change their dress, although Hamas officials say the orders aren’t coming from them. Palestinians in Gaza say they see little hope for the future and many are turning to religion as an answer. Linda Gradstein reports from Gaza City.

Five times a day the Muslim call to prayer echoes through the dusty streets of Gaza. Since it is currently the holy month of Ramadan, many Palestinians here go to the mosque every day to pray. During this month Religious Muslims fast from sunup to sundown.

Gazan society has always been conservative. But lately it’s become even more so.

You won’t see anyone eating or smoking in daylight hours during Ramadan, at least not publicly, and almost everyone here says they fast. These days, the overwhelming majority of Gazan girls and women wear hijab, or a headscarf covering their hair, and increasing numbers are wearing niqab, a burka-like garment that covers everything but the eyes.

Fifteen year old Riwan Hamad says she has covered her hair since she was 12, when her parents encouraged her to start covering up.

“This is an order by Allah, an order of God that we as Muslims should wear a scarf.”

“This is an order by Allah, an order of God that we as Muslims should wear a scarf.”

This summer, Gaza’s chief justice ordered all female lawyers to wear headscarves in court. Hamas officials have since rescinded the order. But there are also reports that Hamas has ordered the imposition of dress codes elsewhere. Principals in a number of girls schools have told students they must wear a headscarf and a jilbab, a long coat-like dress instead of the jean skirts they used to wear.

Hamas senior official Ahmad Yusuf says girls who wear Islamic dress are protecting themselves.

“When you have headscarf and jilbab you tell the others who try to exploit the situation, I’m a good Muslim, try somebody else, I’m not your target.”

But Yusuf insists that Hamas has not given orders to impose a dress code.

“Every Muslim knows there is no compulsion in religion. No one will say you have to wear the headscarf or the special clothes….we will leave it to our Islamic culture, our family values and those the family will actually convince their kids what they should wear to meet the basic Islamic values.”

Many observers see the deepening focus on Islamic values here as a direct result of what happened in Gaza 2007. That year Hamas took complete control of the strip after a mini-civil war with its rival, Fatah.

Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist group, then imposed an economic boycott on Gaza.

Israel allows basic food, medicine and fuel into the Strip but many other goods are in short supply. And Gaza’s aren’t allowed to leave the densely populated Strip except in some humanitarian cases. Israel has closed its border with Gaza and Egypt has done the same.

Hassan Abu Jarad, a professor of linguistics at Gaza’s Al-Aqsa University says many of the 1.5 million Palestinians living here feel trapped.

“People are becoming more and more desperate. This is the reality. The situation is getting worse day after day. The siege which has been imposed on Gaza is still being practiced with a few chances of opening the chances to let the basic necessities. People feel as if they were animals being fed.”

Abu Jarad says Gazans blame Israel for their paralyzed state. But there is also is growing dissatisfaction with Hamas. And anger at Fatah leader and Palestinian president Mahmood Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen.

“People are angry at everybody. People are angry at Abu Mazen, at Israel, people hate Hamas, we feel we have been deceived by everybody. The general move is that neither Hamas nor Abu Mazen are going to get us any step forward.”

In this atmosphere, he says, religious extremism can flourish. He cites as an example an extreme group called the Warriors of God. Last month, the group took over a mosque in the southern city of Rafah near Egypt. The group said Hamas was too lenient and it declared an imposition of strict Islamic law.

Hamas forces reacted by surrounding the mosque and opening fire. Some two dozen people were killed and hundreds arrested.

Analysts here say that if Israel continues to impose the blockade on Gaza and the borders with Egypt remain closed, Islamic extremism will continue to find fertile ground here. And that, they say, poses as much a danger to Hamas as it does to Israel.

For The World, I’m Linda Gradstein, Gaza City.