Egypt moved its embassy from Gaza to the West Bank.[89]. The territory is 25 miles (40 kilometers) long and 4–5 miles (6–8 kilometers) wide. Sunni Muslims make up the predominant part of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. On 1 February, Hamas killed 6 people in an ambush on a Gaza convoy which delivered equipment for Abbas' Palestinian Presidential Guard, according to diplomats, meant to counter smuggling of more powerful weapons into Gaza by Hamas for its fast-growing "Executive Force". As such, the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip resigned, including the prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh. Salah al-Din Road (also known as the Salah ad-Deen Highway) is the main highway of the Gaza Strip and extends over 45 km (28 mi), spanning the entire length of the territory from the Rafah Crossing in the south to the Erez Crossing in the north. The sanctions on Gaza included lopping a third off the salaries of PA employees in the Strip, reducing the financial support for released prisoners and serious disruptions in the electricity supply. Living conditions in the Gaza Strip contribute to the spread of the virus. However, a spokesman for Gaza's Ministry of Interior denied such a campaign, and denied interfering in the lives of Gaza citizens, but explained that "maintaining the morals and values of the Palestinian society is highly required". "[157], Some analysts have argued that the Gaza Strip can be considered a de facto independent state, even if not internationally recognized as such. Any external travel from Gaza requires cooperation from either Egypt or Israel. [131] The reshuffle of the previous government was approved by Gaza-based Hamas MPs from the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) or parliament. An easing of Israel's closure policy in 2010 resulted in an improvement in some economic indicators, although exports were still restricted. [277] The road is named after the 12th-century Ayyubid general Salah al-Din. In 2012, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the occupied Palestinian territory warned that the Gaza Strip might not be a "liveable place" by 2020[20] and as of 2020, Gaza suffered shortages of water, medicine and power, a situation exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis. 2020 was a bad year for Gaza hotel-turned quarantine centers. To make up for the deficit, young people are being sent to learn the trade in Turkey. Gaza is serviced by four internet service providers that now compete for ADSL and dial-up customers. West Bank and Gaza Strip may refer to: . Gaza declares COVID-19 disaster with health system near collapse With a lack of ventilators, PPE, and medicine, officials say Israel’s siege is a ‘death sentence’ for those infected. The Gaza Strip was the site of escalating violence between the competing groups, and a short-lived coalition government was ended in June 2007 after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip and a Fatah-led emergency cabinet took control of the West Bank. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The UN has also urged that the blockade be lifted [21][22][23] while a report by UNCTAD prepared for the UN General Assembly and released on 25 November, 2020 said that Gaza’s economy was on the verge of collapse and that it was essential to lift the blockade. [97], After a round of tit-for-tat arrests between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, the Hilles clan from Gaza were relocated to Jericho on 4 August 2008. In July 2007, after winning the 2006 Palestinian legislative election, Hamas became the elected government. [226], In 2005, after the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Gaza businessmen envisaged a "magnificent future". The international border along the Philadelphi corridor between Egypt and the Gaza Strip is 7 miles (11 km) long. This economic upswing has led to the construction of hotels and a rise in the import of cars. [120], In the immediate aftermath of the Gaza War, Hamas executed 19 Palestinian Fatah members, on charges that they had collaborated with Israel. [92], On 23 January 2008, after months of preparation during which the steel reinforcement of the border barrier was weakened,[93] Hamas destroyed several parts of the wall dividing Gaza and Egypt in the town of Rafah. [185] The IDF strictly controlled travel within the area of the crossing points between Israel and the Gaza Strip, and sealed its border with Gaza. After the cessation of hostilities, the Israel–Egypt Armistice Agreement of 24 February 1949 established the separation line between Egyptian and Israeli forces, and set what became the present boundary between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Many of the younger refugees became fedayeen (Arab guerrillas operating against Israel); their attacks on Israel were one of the causes precipitating the Sinai campaign during the Suez Crisis of 1956, when the strip was taken by Israel. The Gaza Strip remained under Israeli military administration until 1994. Ottoman rule continued until the years following World War I, when the Ottoman Empire collapsed and Gaza formed part of the League of Nations British Mandate of Palestine. He confirmed "that Israel is the only country that currently sends supplies to the coastal enclave". The only countries with a lower median age are countries in Africa such as Uganda where it was 15. The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, also known as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is the second largest militant faction operating in the Gaza Strip. There is a local independent administration in the Gaza Strip that does not answer to Israel (and in fact, openly and repeatedly carries out belligerent attacks against Israel). Pop. AP Explains: Road to Palestinian vote full of obstacles. Palestinian sources reported that European Union monitors fled the Rafah Border Crossing, on the Gaza–Egypt border for fear of being kidnapped or harmed. The opening ceremony was held by the Islamic Society. Israel imposed a blockade, and the only goods permitted into the Strip through the land crossings were goods of a humanitarian nature, and these were permitted in limited quantities. Gaza was part of the Ottoman Empire, before it was occupied by the United Kingdom (1918–1948), Egypt (1948–1967), and then Israel, which in 1994 granted the Palestinian Authority in Gaza limited self-governance through the Oslo Accords. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This has had serious social and humanitarian consequences for many of its 1.7 million inhabitants. The Supreme Court ruled that Israel has not exercised effective control over the Gaza Strip since 2005, and accordingly, it was no longer occupied. The IDF denied that the majority of the dead were civilian. Israel placed quotas on all goods exported from Gaza, while abolishing restrictions on the flow of Israeli goods into the Strip. The Gaza Strip has a hot semi-arid climate, with warm winters during which practically all the annual rainfall occurs, and dry, hot summers. Updates? "[68], According to Sara Roy, one senior IDF officer told an UNWRA official in 2015 that Israel's policy towards the Gaza Strip consisted of: "No development, no prosperity, no humanitarian crisis."[219]. Palestinian medical staff claimed at least 434 Palestinians were killed, and at least 2,800 wounded, consisting of many civilians and an unknown number of Hamas members, in the first five days of Israeli strikes on Gaza. [153], In a legal analysis Hanne Cuyckens agrees with the Israeli position that Gaza is no longer occupied - "Gaza is not technically occupied, given that there is no longer any effective control in the sense of Article 42 of the Hague Regulations. [260], In 2010, Al Zahara, a private school in central Gaza introduced a special program for mental development based on math computations. [78] However, after a few days, new fighting broke out. "[160] In November 2018, Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked asserted that Gaza is an independent state, stating that Palestinians "already have a state" in Gaza. It was closed by Israel in October 2000. Gaza Strip. "[253], Palestinian researcher Khaled Al-Hroub has criticized what he called the "Taliban-like steps" Hamas has taken: "The Islamization that has been forced upon the Gaza Strip—the suppression of social, cultural, and press freedoms that do not suit Hamas's view[s]—is an egregious deed that must be opposed. It has a 51 kilometers (32 mi) border with Israel, and an 11 km (7 mi) border with Egypt, near the city of Rafah. [14][19] The population is expected to increase to 2.1 million in 2020. In 2006, in what was universally hailed as a free, democratic election, Palestinians elect… It pointed out that glass was prohibited[37][38][39][40][41] Under the blockade, Gaza is viewed by some critics as an "open-air prison",[42] although the claim is contested. [278] Plans to expand the port were halted after the outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada. Joshua Castellino, Kathleen A. Cavanaugh, Doug Suisman, Steven Simon, Glenn Robinson, C. Ross Anthony, Michael Schoenbaum (eds.). wide and 28 miles (45 km.) The Israeli authorities found she did not meet the criteria for travel, namely only in exceptional humanitarian cases. During the 7th century the territory was passed back and forth between the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and the Persian (Sasanian) Empires before the Rashidun Caliphate was established during the great Islamic expansions of the 7th century. [28] Further economic sanctions were imposed by Israel and the European Quartet against Hamas. In May 1994, following the Palestinian-Israeli agreements known as the Oslo Accords, a phased transfer of governmental authority to the Palestinians took place. [106] Israel said that the attack was a response to Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel, which totaled over 3,000 in 2008, and which intensified during the few weeks preceding the operation. The conflict damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes,[112] 15 of Gaza's 27 hospitals and 43 of its 110 primary health care facilities,[113] 800 water wells,[114] 186 greenhouses,[115] and nearly all of its 10,000 family farms;[116] leaving 50,000 homeless,[117] 400,000–500,000 without running water,[117][118] one million without electricity,[118] and resulting in acute food shortages. The final status of the Gaza Strip, and other relations between Israel and Palestinians, was not dealt with in the treaty. Egypt's foreign ministry said that the crossing would remain open mainly for people, but not for supplies. She disagrees that Israel cannot therefore be held responsible for the situation in Gaza because: "Nonetheless Israel continues to exercise an important level of control over the Gaza Strip and its population, making it difficult to accept that it would no longer have any obligations with regard to the Strip. Though the Palestinians don't have an army, rockets are regularly fired from Gaza … In 2010, the college had a student population of 6,000 in eight departments offering over 40 majors.[264]. It is the reenactment, under a religious guise, of the experience of [other] totalitarian regimes and dictatorships. Before this mandate ended, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in November 1947 accepted a plan for the Arab-Jewish partition of Palestine under which the town of Gaza and an area of surrounding territory were to be allotted to the Arabs. From 1987 to 1991, during the First Intifada, Hamas campaigned for the wearing of the hijab head-cover and for other measures (such as the promotion of polygamy, segregating women from men and insisting they stay at home). Israel advised people near military targets to leave before the attacks. The area receives an average of about 12 inches (300 mm) of precipitation annually. [48] The influx of over 200,000 refugees from former Mandatory Palestine, roughly a quarter of those who fled or were expelled from their homes during, and in the aftermath of, the 1948 Arab–Israeli War into Gaza[49] resulted in a dramatic decrease in the standard of living. [167] Israeli drones routinely patrol over Gaza. The Arab League accused Israel of waging a financial war. The Gush Katif bloc of Israeli settlements used to exist on the sand dunes adjacent to Rafah and Khan Yunis, along the southwestern edge of the 40 kilometers (25 mi) Mediterranean coastline. After the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the flow of a limited number of workers into Israel resumed, although Israel said it would reduce or end such permits due to the victory of Hamas in the 2006 parliamentary elections. Here's a quick video on how we got here.Subscribe to our channel! Ahmed Abu Al-Amreen of the Hamas-run Energy Authority refused it on the grounds that the crossing is operated by Israel and Hamas' fierce opposition to the existence of Israel. [130] The Hamas government of 2012 was the second Palestinian Hamas-dominated government, ruling over the Gaza Strip, since the split of the Palestinian National Authority in 2007. The role of private corporations in the relationship between Israel and the Gaza Strip is an issue that has not been extensively studied. 53% of women of reproductive age and 44% of children were found to be anemic. [76] The resulting political disorder and economic stagnation led to many Palestinians emigrating from the Gaza Strip.[77]. After the Israeli withdrawal in 2005 the Oslo Accords give the Palestinian Authority administrative authority in the Gaza Strip. Hamas emerged the victor and expelled Fatah-allied officials and members of the PA's security apparatus from the strip,[29][30] and has remained the sole governing power in Gaza since that date.[28]. In the following month, the zone was changed to 300 meters and 3 nautical miles. Both fell under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority,[10] but Gaza has since June 2007 been governed by Hamas, a Palestinian fundamentalist militant Islamic organization[11] which came to power in free elections in 2006. Al Deira beach is a popular venue for surfers.[239]. To the southwest, it shares a seven-mile border with Egypt. It is named for the ancient city of Gaza, which lies near the northeastern end of the strip. [256] Moussa and 19 other people were killed when Hamas forces stormed his mosque and house. The Gaza Strip is a self-governing stretch of land along the Mediterranean.The main city in the Gaza Strip is called Gaza.The strip is currently governed by Hamas, a group declared as terrorists by many western nations for its launching of rockets into Israel.. The earliest major settlement in the area was at Tell El Sakan and Tall al-Ajjul, two Bronze Age settlements that served as administrative outposts for Ancient Egyptian governance. These are conurbations mainly occupied by … [190] UNOCHA called on Israel to reduce restrictions on exports and the import of construction materials, and to lift the general ban on movement between Gaza and the West Bank via Israel. The Israeli forces left Gaza City and other urban areas, leaving the new Palestinian Authority to administer and police those areas. These greenhouses provided employment for hundreds of Gazans. [175] According to Amnesty International, more than 800 homes had been destroyed and more than 1,000 families evicted. [270][failed verification], Gazans who desire medical care in Israeli hospitals must apply for a medical visa permit. Ongoing violence prompted fear that it could bring the end of the Fatah-Hamas coalition government, and possibly the end of the Palestinian authority. [188] Benjamin Netanyahu said that it is impossible to lift the siege on Gaza and that the security of Israel is the primary issue for him. On 26 March 1979, Israel and Egypt signed the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty. Political tension and outbreaks of violence often led Israeli authorities to close the border for extended periods, putting many Palestinians out of work. The Gaza Strip, home to two million Palestinians, is frequently on the news.The small enclave is one of the most densely populated areas in the … Israel does not have troops regularly deployed in Gaza, and it can only deploy such troops through heavy and difficult fighting. [124], Egypt's Sinai Peninsula borders the Gaza Strip and Israel. The strip reverted to Egyptian control in 1957 following strong international pressures on Israel. [60] The main crossing points are the northern Erez Crossing into Israel and the southern Rafah Crossing into Egypt. [232], In early March 2012, the head of Gaza's energy authority stated that Egypt wanted to transfer energy via the Kerem Shalom Crossing, but he personally refused it to go through the "Zionist entity" (Israel) and insisted that Egypt transfer the fuel through the Rafah Crossing, although this crossing is not equipped to handle the half-million liters needed each day.[234]. From the beginning, the area’s chief economic and social problem was the presence of large numbers of Palestinian Arab refugees living in extreme poverty in squalid camps. It can interfere with radio and TV transmissions, and the Palestinian Authority cannot engage in independent initiatives for operating a seaport or airport. [199], Under the long-term blockade, the Gaza Strip is often described as a "prison-camp or open air prison for its collective denizens". [135] The third largest faction is the Popular Resistance Committees. According to Al Jazeera "19 human rights groups urged Israel to lift its siege on Gaza". New malls opened and local industry began to develop. The British mandate ended on May 15, 1948, and on that same day the first Arab-Israeli war began. The improvement and rebuilding of infrastructure is also negatively impacted by these sanctions. All-Palestine in the Gaza Strip was managed under the military authority of Egypt, functioning as a puppet state, until it officially merged into the United Arab Republic and dissolved in 1959. Hilmi S.Salem, 'Social, Environmental and Security Impacts of Climate Change on the Eastern Mediterranean,' in Hans Günter Brauch, Úrsula Oswald Spring, Czeslaw Mesjasz, John Grin, Patricia Kameri-Mbote, Béchir Chourou, Pál Dunay, Joern Birkmann (eds. Most of the inhabitants are Sunni Muslims, with an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Arab Christians,[246] making the region 99.8 percent Sunni Muslim and 0.2 percent Christian. The current Gaza conflict is the most damaging in more than a decade, as infrastructure and civilians are pounded by shelling. Subsequent to this military victory, Israel created the first settlement bloc in the Strip, Gush Katif, in the southwest corner near Rafah and the Egyptian border on a spot where a small kibbutz had previously existed for 18 months between 1946–48. Gaza is a single, contiguous territory with de facto borders, recognised, if not always respected, by friend and foe alike. Egyptian forces soon entered the town of Gaza, which became the headquarters of the Egyptian expeditionary force in Palestine. (2006 est.) Some of the rockets could reach as far as the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area. The closure has effectively cut off access for exports to traditional markets in Israel, transfers to the West Bank and has severely restricted imports. They view the group as a terrorist organization, and have pressured Hamas to recognize Israel, renounce violence, and make good on past agreements. [256], The movement has clashed with Hamas on a number of occasions. One legislator stated that "[w]hat you are seeing are incidents, not policy" and that "we believe in persuasion". [80], In May 2007, new fighting broke out between the factions. Due in part to its desirable coastal location, the land now known as Gaza has been fought over from time to time for centuries, but the modern conflict over the region dates to 1948. [149], Israel states that it does not exercise effective control or authority over any land or institutions in the Gaza Strip and thus the Gaza Strip is no longer subject to the former military occupation. In Gaza, there are hospitals and additional healthcare facilities. After the takeover, Israel and Egypt closed their border crossings with Gaza. [81] Interior Minister Hani Qawasmi, who had been considered a moderate civil servant acceptable to both factions, resigned due to what he termed harmful behavior by both sides. Egypt controls Gaza Strip's southern border, under an agreement between it and Israel. A barrier on the Gaza Strip-Egypt border was constructed starting in 2004. The Gaza Strip is situated on a relatively flat coastal plain. [256] However, the failure of Hamas to lift the Israeli blockade of Gaza despite thousands of casualties and much destruction during 2008-9 and 2014 wars has weakened Hamas's support and led some in Hamas to be concerned about the possibility of defections to the Salafist "Islamic State". The al-Aqsa Intifada triggered tight IDF closures of the border with Israel, as well as frequent curbs on traffic in Palestinian self-rule areas, severely disrupting trade and labor movements. Because the Egyptian government restricted movement to and from the Gaza Strip, its inhabitants could not look elsewhere for gainful employment.[50]. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea between Israel and Egypt. [101] On 28 November, after a 24-hour period of quiet, the IDF facilitated the transfer of over thirty truckloads of food, basic supplies and medicine into Gaza and transferred fuel to the area's main power plant. [128], According to Egyptian authorities, the Army of Islam, a U.S. designated "terrorist organization" based in the Gaza Strip, is responsible for training and supplying many militant organizations and jihadist members in Sinai. [18] Gaza has an annual population growth rate of 2.91% (2014 est. "[163], As agreed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the Oslo Accords, Israel has exclusive control over the airspace. [34] This broke the Unity Government between Gaza Strip and the West Bank, creating two separate governments for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israel began a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip on 3 January 2009. The situation has deteriorated further in recent months as a result of the geo-political changes which took place in the region during the course of 2013, particularly in Egypt and its closure of the majority of smuggling tunnels between Egypt and Gaza as well as increased restrictions at Rafah. The territory is 41 kilometers (25 mi) long, and from 6 to 12 kilometers (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide, with a total area of 365 square kilometers (141 sq mi). [96], In February 2008, 2008 Israel-Gaza conflict intensified, with rockets launched at Israeli cities. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. "[84] Associated Press reporter Ibrahim Barzak wrote an eyewitness account stating: "Today I have seen people shot before my eyes, I heard the screams of terrified women and children in a burning building, and I argued with gunmen who wanted to take over my home. Egypt agreed to provide 600,000 liters of fuel to Gaza daily, but it had no way of delivering it that Hamas would agree to.[235]. ", Museum Offers Gray Gaza a View of Its Dazzling Past, Ethan Bronner, "Gaza families shut down UN summer camps", "Hamas-Run Schools in Gaza Set Out to Teach Hebrew", "Country Comparison: Infant mortality rate", '200 Gazans injured in separate incidents on first day of Eid al-Adha,', "WHO | WHO statement on the situation in the Gaza Strip", "As Bombs Fell in Gaza, a Rich Cactus Lover Could Cultivate Only Patience", "Maymanah Farhat, "Under the Voices of Fire: Artists in Gaza, Gaza opens first Olympic-size swimming pool, السباحة صالة الالعاب الرياضية والساونا في النادي, Ancient Gaza Roadway Still a Vital Resource, "World Report 2015: Israel/Palestine – Events of 2014", "Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics – 2004 Survey of Computer, Internet and Mobile Phone Ownership", "Matt-27:25 in Ancient Christian Writings,", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gaza_Strip&oldid=1002572035, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Articles with dead external links from July 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia extended-confirmed-protected pages, Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the flag caption or type parameters, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from December 2020, Articles with minor POV problems from November 2017, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2012, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from May 2015, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2020, Articles with failed verification from May 2018, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Source: CIA Factbook via Index Mundi 2020, Used since 1986; as in Israel, replaced the, This page was last edited on 25 January 2021, at 01:58. 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