History of Gaza facts for kids

The Old Town of Gaza in the 1860s. Picture by Frances Frith.

Gaza City has a super long history, going back 4,000 years! Many different groups have ruled, rebuilt, and lived in Gaza over time. It started as a Canaanite town. Then, the ancient Egyptians controlled it for about 350 years. After that, it became one of the main cities for the Philistines. Around 730 BCE, Gaza became part of the Assyrian Empire.

Later, Alexander the Great attacked and took over the city in 332 BCE. Most people living there were killed during the attack. The city then became a center for Greek learning and was resettled by nearby Bedouin people. Gaza was often fought over by two Greek kingdoms: the Seleucids from Syria and the Ptolemies from Egypt. Finally, the Hasmoneans took it over in 96 BCE.

The Roman General Pompey rebuilt Gaza. Thirty years later, it was given to Herod the Great. Gaza stayed rich and important during the Roman period. A group of 500 leaders governed the city. Many different people lived there, including Greeks, Romans, Jews, Egyptians, Persians, and Nabateans. Saint Porphyrius helped spread Christianity in Gaza. He destroyed eight pagan temples between 396 and 420 CE.

In 637 CE, the Muslim general Amr ibn al-'As conquered Gaza. Most people in Gaza became Muslims during the early Muslim rule. After this, the city had good times and bad times. The Crusaders took Gaza from the Fatimids in 1100. But Saladin drove them out. By the late 1200s, Gaza was controlled by the Mamluks. It became the capital of a large area. Gaza had a "golden age" in the 1500s under the Ridwan dynasty, who were appointed by the Ottoman Empire.

Gaza was hit by strong earthquakes in 1903 and 1914. In 1917, during World War I, British forces captured the city. Gaza grew a lot in the first half of the 1900s under British rule. Many people moved to Gaza after the Palestinian exodus during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Gaza then came under Egyptian rule. But Israel occupied it during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Gaza became a center for political action during the First Intifada. In 1993, the Oslo Accords decided that Gaza would be controlled by the new Palestinian Authority. Israel left Gaza in 2005. By 2007, Hamas won elections and took control after fighting with Fatah. Since then, Hamas has been the main governing power in the Gaza Strip. Israel then started a blockade of the Strip. Israel has also launched attacks in 2008–2009, 2012, and 2014. These attacks were a response to rocket attacks from Gaza.

Early History: Bronze Age Settlements

The first settlements in the Gaza area date back to 3300–3000 BCE. This was at a place called Tell es-Sakan, south of today's city. It began as an Ancient Egyptian fort in Canaanite land. Tell as-Sakan grew as Canaanite cities traded farm goods with the Egyptians.

However, Egypt started focusing on trading cedar wood with Lebanon. Gaza's role became smaller, just a port for ships. Its economy went down. The site was mostly left empty during the Early Bronze Age II.

Gaza's population and economy grew again around 2500 BCE. Local Canaanite people started living at Tell as-Sakan once more. But in 2250 BCE, civilization in the Gaza region completely collapsed. All cities were abandoned by the 23rd century BCE. Instead, semi-nomadic groups lived there in simple family homes.

A new city, Tell al-Ajjul, grew up along the Wadi Ghazza riverbed. During the Middle Bronze Age, Tell as-Sakan was the southernmost fort in Canaanite land. By 1650 BCE, while Egypt was ruled by the Canaanite Hyksos, a second city grew on the ruins of the first Tell as-Sakan. This city was destroyed about 100 years later when the Hyksos were driven out of Egypt. Egypt settled Gaza again. Tell al-Ajjul rose for the third time in the 1400s BCE. The city finally disappeared in the 1300s BCE, at the end of the Bronze Age.

Ancient Period: Empires and Philosophers

A statue of Zeus found in Gaza.

The city that became modern-day Gaza started at the site of Tell al-Ajjul. This city was Egypt's main administrative center in Canaan. It was where the Egyptian governor lived. Gaza was a very important stop for trade caravans. Because of this, it was always involved in wars between Egypt, Syria, and the powerful kingdoms of Mesopotamia. For example, Egyptian pharaoh Ahmose I finished his victory over the Hyksos by conquering their stronghold near Gaza.

Gaza is often mentioned in old Egyptian and Assyrian records. Under Thutmose III, it was a stop on the Syrian-Egyptian trade route. It was also called "Azzati" in the Amarna letters. Gaza was controlled by Egypt for 350 years. Then, in the 1100s BCE, the Philistines settled there. They were a seafaring people from the Aegean. Gaza became one of the Philistines' five most important city-states.

The Hebrew Bible says that the Avvites lived in the Gaza area. It also says that the Caphtorites from the island of Caphtor (modern Crete) took their land. Some experts think the Philistines were descendants of the Caphtorites.

The Hebrew Bible also mentions Gaza as the place where Samson was held prisoner and died. The prophets Amos and Zephaniah are believed to have said that Gaza would become empty. According to the Bible, Gaza came under Israelite rule during the time of King David in the early 1000s BCE. When the United Monarchy split around 930 BCE, Gaza became part of the northern Kingdom of Israel.

When the Assyrians conquered the Kingdom of Israel around 730 BCE, Gaza came under Assyrian rule. In the 600s BCE, it was again controlled by Egypt. But during the Persian period (500s–300s BCE), Gaza was quite independent and did very well. In 601/600 BCE, Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II lost a battle against the Egyptian army near Gaza. However, he captured Gaza during his second attempt to invade Egypt in 568 BCE. In 529 BCE, Cambyses I attacked Gaza but failed. Later, around 520 BCE, the Greeks set up a trading post in Gaza. The first coins were made there around 380 BCE.

Alexander the Great attacked Gaza in 332 BCE. It was the last city to resist him on his way to Egypt. The siege lasted five months. Gaza was defended by a leader named Batis and Arab fighters. They held out for two months before Alexander's army took the city. The defenders fought until they died, and the women and children were taken as prisoners. The city was then resettled by nearby Bedouins who supported Alexander. He organized Gaza as a "city-state" (`polis`). Greek culture became strong there. Gaza became famous as a center for Greek learning and philosophy.

Gaza first belonged to the Ptolemaic kingdom. After 200 BCE, it became part of the Seleucid Empire. In the 1st century BCE, Gaza was an important Mediterranean port for the Nabateans. Their trade caravans came from Petra or Elath on the Red Sea. In 96 BCE, the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus attacked the city for a year. The people of Gaza had hoped for help from the Nabatean king Aretas II, but he didn't come. So, Jannaeus killed the inhabitants and destroyed their city.

Classical Antiquity: Roman Rule and Christianity

Roman Empire

Gaza was rebuilt by the Roman consul Aulus Gabinius after it became part of the Roman Empire in 63 BCE. This was under the command of Pompey. Roman rule brought 600 years of peace and wealth to the city. Gaza became a busy port and a center for trade between the Middle East and Africa.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Gaza is mentioned as being on the desert road from Jerusalem to Ethiopia. The Christian gospel was explained to an Ethiopian eunuch on this road by Philip the Evangelist. The eunuch was then baptized in nearby water.

Roman emperor Augustus gave Gaza to Herod the Great in 30 BCE. It was a separate part of Herod's kingdom. After Herod died in 4 BCE, Augustus added Gaza to the Province of Syria. In 66 CE, Jews burned Gaza during their rebellion against the Romans. However, it remained an important city. It became even more important after Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus the next year. Titus passed through Gaza on his way to Jerusalem and again on his way back.

Gaza was a rich city during the Roman period. Several emperors gave it money and attention. A group of 500 leaders governed Gaza. Many different people lived there, including Philistines, Greeks, Romans, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Jews, Egyptians, Persians, and Bedouins. Gaza made its own coins with pictures of gods and emperors. Emperor Hadrian visited in 130 CE. He liked Gaza and started wrestling, boxing, and speaking competitions in Gaza's new stadium. This stadium became famous from Alexandria to Damascus. The city had many pagan temples. The main god worshipped was Marnas. Other temples were for Zeus, Helios, Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, and the local goddess Tyche.

Christianity started to spread in Gaza around 250 CE. It began in the port of Maiuma and then moved into the city. The religion faced challenges because pagan worship was strong. In 299 CE, some local Christians were arrested by the Romans. Christians were also harshly treated during the Diocletianic Persecution in 303 CE. The first bishop of Gaza was Philemon. Saint Silvanus was arrested and sentenced to death in 310 CE.

Gaza became part of Palaestina Prima, a Roman province, under Diocletian. Even though Constantine I officially recognized Christianity, most people in Gaza still worshipped the old gods. Gaza was not affected much as the Roman Empire started to fall apart. The people of Maiuma reportedly became Christians all at once. Constantine II separated Maiuma from pagan Gaza in 331 CE. He gave Maiuma its own bishop. Julian reversed this during his rule. After Julian's death, Maiuma became independent again. The rivalry between Maiuma and Gaza grew.

For most of the 300s CE, the Christian community in Gaza was small and poor. They had no power in the city. The church was not important, and its members could not hold political jobs. However, Saint Porphyrius led the spread of Christianity in Gaza between 396 and 420 CE. In 402 CE, all eight pagan temples in the city were destroyed. Non-Christian worship was forbidden. Paganism continued despite this. According to Christian history, Christians were still treated badly. Empress Aelia Eudocia ordered a church to be built on the ruins of the Marnas temple in 406 CE.

A large synagogue from the 500s CE was found in Gaza. It had a mosaic floor showing King David. An inscription says two merchant brothers paid for the floor in 508–509 CE. Around 540 CE, Gaza became a starting point for trips to the Sinai Peninsula. It was an important city in the early Christian world. Many famous scholars taught at its school of public speaking, including Procopius of Gaza in the 500s. The famous Church of Saint Sergius was built in this century.

A mosaic map from 600 CE shows Gaza as the most important political and business center on the southern coast of Palestine. Its northern border was near Ashkelon. Its southern border is unknown, but Gaza's control did not reach Raphia. Towns like Bethelea, Asalea, Gerarit, and Kissufim were part of Gaza's territory.

Arab Caliphates: Muslim Rule and New Beginnings

Rashidun Rule

Some Greek-speaking Christians in Gaza had already become Muslims before the city surrendered to the Muslims. Near the end of the Byzantine era, Gaza was home to many Arab traders from Mecca. This included Umar ibn al-Khattab, who later became the second ruler of the Islamic Caliphate. Muhammad visited the city more than once before he became a prophet of Islam.

In 634 CE, the Rashidun army under general 'Amr ibn al-'As attacked Gaza. They had help from Khalid ibn al-Walid. This happened after the Battle of Ajnadayn between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate. The Muslims won at Ajnadayn, gaining control over much of Palestine's countryside. But they didn't control major cities like Gaza, which had soldiers. When Umar became the new leader, the Rashidun forces tried harder to conquer Byzantine land.

During the three-year siege of Gaza, the city's Jewish community fought with the Byzantine soldiers. In the summer of 637 CE, Amr's forces broke the siege and captured Gaza. They killed the Byzantine soldiers but did not attack the people living there. Amr's victory was due to Arab strategy, Byzantine weakness, and the help of Gaza's Arab residents. The city was not destroyed by the Arab army. It was believed to be the burial place of Muhammad's great-grandfather, Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, who was also a merchant in Gaza.

The arrival of the Muslim Arabs brought big changes to Gaza. Its churches became mosques. This included the Cathedral of John the Baptist, which used to be the Temple of Marnas. It became the Great Mosque of Gaza. Gaza's people became Muslims quite quickly, unlike the countryside. Eventually, Arabic became the official language. The Christian population became a small group. The Samaritans left the city when the Muslims conquered it. Gaza was put under the "District of Palestine" (`Jund Filastin`). It stayed part of this district under the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers.

Arab Dynasties

Under the Umayyads, Gaza was a small administrative center. In 672 CE, an earthquake hit the city, but we don't have many details about its effects. Under the governors appointed by the caliph, Christians and Jews paid a tax. But they could still worship and trade. This was noted by the bishop Saint Willibald, who visited the city in 723 CE. In 750 CE, Umayyad rule in Palestine ended, and the Abbasids arrived. Gaza became a center for writing Islamic law. In 767 CE, Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i was born in Gaza. He lived there in his early childhood. Al-Shafi'i founded one of the main schools of law in Sunni Islam, called Shafi'i after him.

In 796 CE, the city was destroyed during a civil war between Arab tribes. Gaza seemed to recover by the 800s. The Persian geographer Istakhri wrote that merchants became rich there. He said Gaza was a "great market for the people of the Hejaz." A Christian writer in 867 CE described it as "rich in all things." However, Gaza's port was sometimes neglected under Arab rule. Trade generally declined because of fighting among Palestine's rulers and Bedouin bandits who disrupted trade routes.

From 868 to 905 CE, the Tulunids ruled Gaza. Around 909 CE, the Fatimids from Egypt started to become more powerful. This led to a slow decline of Gaza. The orange fruit was brought to the area from India in 943 CE. In 977 CE, the Fatimids made a deal with the Seljuk Turks. The Fatimids would control Gaza and the land south of it, including Egypt. By 985 CE, under Fatimid rule, the Arab geographer al-Muqaddasi described Gaza as "a large town lying on the highroad to Egypt on the border of the desert. There is here a beautiful mosque, also to be seen is the monument for the Khalif Umar." The Arabic poet Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Ghazzi was born in the city in 1049 CE.

Crusader and Ayyubid Rule: Conflicts and Changes

The Gold Market in Gaza dates from the Mamluk period.

The Crusaders took control of Gaza from the Fatimids in 1100 CE. According to the writer William of Tyre, the Crusaders found it empty and in ruins. King Baldwin III built a small castle there in 1149. He couldn't fully rebuild the city's defenses due to lack of money. Having Gaza helped the Crusaders surround the Fatimid city of Ascalon to the north. After the castle was built, Baldwin gave it and the surrounding area to the Knights Templar. He also turned the Great Mosque into the Cathedral of Saint John.

In 1154 CE, the Arab traveler al-Idrisi wrote that Gaza "is today very populous and in the hands of the Crusaders." William of Tyre confirmed that in 1170 CE, people were convinced to live outside the castle. They built weak defenses and gates around their community. That same year, King Amalric I of Jerusalem moved Gaza's Templars to help him fight an Ayyubid force led by Saladin near Darum. However, Saladin avoided the Crusader force and attacked Gaza instead. He destroyed the town built outside the castle walls and killed its people. They were not allowed into the castle.

Seven years later, the Templars prepared to defend Gaza against Saladin again. But this time, his forces attacked Ascalon. In 1187 CE, after Ascalon surrendered, the Templars gave up Gaza. In return, their leader Gerard of Ridefort was set free. Saladin then ordered the city's defenses to be destroyed in 1191 CE. A year later, after taking it back, Richard the Lionheart seemed to rebuild the city's defenses. But the walls were taken down again because of the Treaty of Ramla in 1193 CE.

According to the geographer Abu al-Fida, Gaza was a medium-sized city in the early 1200s. It had gardens and was by the sea. The Ayyubids built the Shuja'iyya neighborhood. This was the first time Gaza expanded beyond its Old City.

Mamluk Rule: Rebuilding and Prosperity

Ayyubid rule mostly ended in 1260 CE. The Mongols under Hulagu Khan completely destroyed Gaza. This was the southernmost point the Mongols reached. Hulagu left his army in Gaza. But he was called back because the Mongol emperor had died. The Mamluk general az-Zahir Baybars then drove the Mongols out of the city. He defeated them again at Baysan. Baybars was declared sultan of Egypt on his way back from the battle. He passed through Gaza six times between 1263 and 1269 CE during his campaigns against the Crusaders and Mongols. Mamluk rule began in 1277 CE. Gaza was first a small village in the area of Ramla. In 1279 CE, Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun camped in Gaza for 50 days while marching against the Mongols.

In 1293 CE, Qalawun's son Al-Nasir Muhammad made Gaza the capital of a province named after it, Mamlakat Ghazzah (the Governorship of Gaza). This province covered the coast from Rafah in the south to just north of Caesarea. It stretched east to the western slopes of Samaria and the Hebron Hills. Its main towns were Qaqun, Ludd, and Ramla. In 1294 CE, an earthquake ruined Gaza. Five years later, the Mongols again destroyed everything the Mamluks had rebuilt. That same year, Gaza was part of a plot against Sultan al-Adil Kitbugha. But the plot was found out and stopped.

The Syrian geographer al-Dimashqi described Gaza in 1300 CE as "so rich in trees it looks like a cloth of brocade spread out upon the land." He said Gaza controlled cities and towns like Ascalon, Jaffa, Caesarea, Arsuf, Deir al-Balah, al-Arish (in the northern Sinai), Bayt Jibrin, Karatiyya, Hebron, and Jerusalem. All these had their own sub-governors. Emir Baybars al-Ala'i ruled Mamlakat Ghazzah between 1307 and 1310 CE.

Emir Sanjar al-Jawli became the governor of Gaza and central Palestine in 1311 CE. He really liked Gaza and made it a thriving city. He built a horse-race course, a madrasa (college), a mosque, a khan (caravansary), a maristan (hospital), and a castle. In late 1332 CE, some of Gaza's special rights were removed. From then until 1341 CE, Gaza was under the viceroy of Syria.

In 1348 CE, the bubonic plague spread to Gaza. It killed most of the people. In 1352 CE, Gaza suffered a destructive flood, which was rare in that dry area. However, by 1355 CE, the Berber traveler Ibn Battuta visited the city. He noted that it was "large and populous, and has many mosques. But there were no walls round it."

In the early 1380s, the governor of Gaza, Akbuga Safawi, planned to betray Sultan az-Zahir Barquq. The plan was discovered, and Safawi was sent away. He was replaced by Husam al-Din ibn Bakish. Soon after, the city was taken by Emir Yalbugha an-Nasiri, who rebelled against Barquq. Gaza was taken back without fighting. In 1401 CE, many locusts destroyed Gaza's crops. A battle between two rival Mamluk emirs happened in Gaza. Between 1428 and 1433 CE, Gaza was governed by Emir Sayf ad-Din Inal, who later became sultan in 1453 CE.

Ottoman Era: New Rulers and Changes

Early Ottoman Rule and the Ridwan Dynasty

In 1516 CE, Gaza became part of the Ottoman Empire. By then, it was a small town with a quiet port and ruined buildings. The Ottoman army quickly stopped a small uprising. The local people generally welcomed them because they were also Sunni Muslims.

Soon after Palestine came under Ottoman rule, it was divided into six districts. One of these was the Gaza Sanjak (District of Gaza). It stretched from Jaffa in the north to Bayt Jibrin in the east and Rafah in the south. This district was part of the larger "Province of Damascus."

An early governor of Gaza was Kara Shahin Mustafa. He was a former jannissary (a soldier). He became a top military officer and minister. He was a trusted helper of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He became governor of Gaza for a short time before being appointed Governor of Egypt. The Ridwan dynasty, which would rule Gaza for over 100 years, got its name from Mustafa's son, Ridwan Pasha.

The Ridwan family chose Gaza as their home and built their castle there. Ridwan Pasha's son Ahmad Pasha took over after him. He governed Gaza for 30 years. He sometimes also controlled the districts of Nablus and Jerusalem. He became Governor of Damascus in 1601 CE and died in 1607 CE. The next in line was Hasan Pasha ibn Ahmad, known as 'Arab Hasan ("Hasan the Bedouin"). He was called this because the Ridwans were known for controlling the Bedouin. He led his Bedouin troops against a rebel army. He was later appointed Governor of Tripoli in Lebanon, but was removed in 1644 CE. 'Arab Hasan had many wives and 85 children. He was a successful military leader, but he put the family in a lot of debt.

Muslims studying the Qur'an with Gaza in the background, painted by Harry Fenn.

'Arab Hasan's son Husayn Pasha was governor of Nablus and Jerusalem. He inherited the poor governorship of Gaza when his father died. He borrowed a lot of money from the French to pay the high taxes on the city. Husayn's time in office was peaceful and good for Gaza. He gained a good reputation for reducing fighting between the nearby Bedouins and the settled people. He appointed his son Ibrahim to be governor of Gaza and Jerusalem. But when Ibrahim was killed in 1660 CE, Husayn took control of Gaza again. That year, Gaza was named the capital of Palestine. This showed how quickly the city was recovering. The Great Mosque was repaired, and six other mosques were built. Turkish baths and market stalls also grew. However, complaints were sent to Istanbul about Husayn. He was accused of not protecting a pilgrimage caravan and being too friendly with Christians. This was an excuse for the Ottoman government to remove him. He was imprisoned in Damascus, and his money was taken. He later died in prison in Istanbul in 1663 CE.

Husayn's brother Musa Pasha then governed Gaza until the early 1670s. He put in place rules against the French and Christians to please the Ottoman government. Soon after his rule ended, Ottoman officials were appointed to govern. The Ridwan period is seen as Gaza's last "golden age" under Ottoman rule. The city slowly declined after they were removed from power.

In 1723 CE, the Ottomans appointed Salih Pasha Tuqan to govern Gaza and two other districts. He ruled until his death in 1742 CE. In the 1750s, a local Bedouin tribe sold stolen goods from a caravan into Gaza's markets. This boosted the city's wealth. In 1763 CE, there was a revolt in Gaza against the Ottomans. In November 1770 CE, Ali Bey al-Kabir, a rebellious Mamluk leader from Egypt, sent troops to Gaza. They helped Zahir al-Umar in the Galilee to challenge Ottoman power.

Gaza was briefly taken by the French Army under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 CE. Napoleon called it "the outpost of Africa, the door to Asia." Most of its people fled. His forces easily destroyed the remains of the city walls. These walls had not been rebuilt since Saladin destroyed them. But Napoleon's forces left the city after failing to capture Acre that same year. The French influence in Gaza was too short to have a lasting effect.

Egyptian Rule and Ottoman Revival

Painting of Gaza by David Roberts, 1839.

Gaza was strongly influenced by neighboring Egypt from the early 1800s. Muhammad Ali of Egypt conquered it and most of Palestine in 1832 CE. In 1833 CE, Muhammad Ali told his son Ibrahim Pasha not to buy Gaza's cotton harvest. He allowed the people to sell it as they wished.

American scholar Edward Robinson visited Gaza in 1838 CE. He described it as a "thickly populated" town, larger than Jerusalem. Its Old City was on a hilltop, and its newer parts were on the nearby plain. He said its soil was rich and supported many apricot and mulberry trees. Even though Gaza's port was quiet, it benefited from trade. This was because it was on the caravan route between Egypt and Syria. It also made soap and cotton to trade with the Bedouin. Robinson noted that almost all signs of Gaza's ancient history had disappeared due to constant conflict.

The Bubonic Plague hit again in 1839 CE. The city struggled because it lacked political and economic stability. In 1840 CE, Egyptian and Ottoman troops fought outside Gaza. The Ottomans won, ending Egyptian rule over Palestine. The battles brought more death and destruction, just as the city was starting to recover from the plague. The Church of Saint Porphyrius was renovated in 1856 CE. In 1874 CE, French expert Charles Clermont-Ganneau visited Gaza. He collected many Byzantine writings and described the city's Great Mosque in detail. Sultan Abdul Hamid II had Gaza's wells repaired in 1893 CE.

The Great Mosque of Gaza was badly damaged during World War I.

The first city council of Gaza was formed in 1893 CE. Modern mayorship began in 1906 CE with Said al-Shawa. Like other areas in Palestine, Gaza was controlled by powerful families. These included the Shawa, Husseini, and Sourani families. Two strong earthquakes happened in 1903 and 1914 CE.

When World War I started in 1917 CE, British forces lost to the Ottomans in the first and second Battle of Gaza. General Edmund Allenby, leading the Allied Forces, finally conquered Gaza in a third battle.

British Rule: Growth and Conflict

Gaza after surrendering to British forces in 1918.

After World War I, the League of Nations gave Great Britain and France control over former Ottoman lands. Gaza became part of the British Mandate of Palestine.

During the 1929 Palestine riots, the Jewish Quarter of Gaza was destroyed. Most of Gaza's 50 Jewish families left the city. In the 1930s and 1940s, Gaza grew a lot. New neighborhoods like Rimal and Zeitoun were built along the coast and in the plains. Areas damaged in the riots were rebuilt. Most of the money for these projects came from international groups.

Egyptian Control: Refugees and Political Changes

After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Egypt controlled Gaza and the area around it, which became known as the Gaza Strip. Gaza's population grew a lot because of many refugees. These refugees were fleeing nearby cities, towns, and villages that Israel had captured. From 1948 to 1959, Gaza was supposedly under the All-Palestine Government. This group was set up by the Arab League during the 1948 war. But this government had little power in Gaza. Cairo dissolved it in 1959. Egyptian control of the Gaza Strip was broken for four months during the 1956 Suez Crisis.

When Israeli forces left, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser made several changes in Gaza. He expanded education and public services. He also provided housing and set up local security forces. Like in Egypt, political activity in Gaza was limited. But the Arab National Union was created. This gave the city's people a greater voice in national politics. In 1959, Gaza officially became part of the United Arab Republic, a union of Syria and Egypt. However, Gaza was really under direct Egyptian military rule. This continued even after Syria left the union. When the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964, Nasser said it would have power over Gaza. A year later, young men were required to join the Palestinian Liberation Army.

Israeli Control: Occupation and Uprisings

The new mayor of Gaza, Rushdi al-Shawwa, speaking at the inauguration of the Gaza city council in November 1956.

Gaza was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. This happened after Arab armies were defeated. Under Israeli occupation, Gaza's existing government structures stayed in place. Palestinian civil servants continued to do administrative tasks. However, some felt that the Israeli military often interfered to control local violence. Right after the 1967 War, the military governor of Gaza threatened to fire the city council. He also threatened to cut off services if the local leaders couldn't make residents turn in their weapons. This action was seen as too much and was stopped by the Israeli military governor of the Gaza Strip. Organized armed resistance against Israel was strongest between 1969 and 1971. But it was mostly stopped by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) under Ariel Sharon.

In 1971, the Israeli Army tried to spread out the many Palestinian refugees in al-Shati camp. They developed new housing plans. This led to the creation of the northern Sheikh Radwan district. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the PLO strongly opposed this. They said it was forced resettlement. In 1972, Gaza's military governor fired the city's mayor, Rashad al-Shawwa. This was because he refused to add al-Shati camp to Gaza city. Since the 1970s, there have been frequent conflicts between Palestinians and Israeli authorities in the city. This led to the First Intifada in 1987. Gaza became a center of fighting during this uprising. As a result, economic conditions in the city got worse.

Palestinian Control: Authority and Blockade

Palestinian Authority

In September 1993, leaders from Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords. This agreement called for Palestinian control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho. This was put into action in May 1994. Israeli forces left Gaza. A new Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was left to manage and police the city. Led by Yasser Arafat, the PNA chose Gaza as its first main headquarters. The newly formed Palestinian National Council held its first meeting in Gaza in March 1996.

Palestinians in a Gaza neighborhood during the 2008–2009 Israel-Gaza conflict. (Source: Al Jazeera English)

In 2005, Israel carried out its unilateral disengagement plan. Under this plan, Israel removed its armed forces and settlements from the Gaza Strip. This included the Philadelphi Route, a narrow strip next to Gaza's border with Egypt. Hamas won a surprising victory in the Palestinian elections of 2006. Since then, Hamas has been involved in a violent power struggle with Fatah.

Hamas Administration

In 2007, after the Hamas election victory, Hamas took stronger control over the Gaza Strip. This happened in violent clashes with Fatah. Currently, Hamas has control of the city and Strip. But it remains under a land, sea, and air blockade. Israel attacked Gaza and nearby cities in the Gaza Strip with air and ground forces. This was called "Operation Summer Rains". The goal was to stop continued Qassam rocket attacks from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. It also aimed to free an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian fighters.

In March 2008, a human rights group said that the situation in Gaza was the worst it had been since Israel occupied the area in 1967. On December 27–28, 2008, Israel started air strikes against Gaza. This was called "Operation Cast Lead". Israel said the strikes were in response to repeated rocket and mortar attacks from the Gaza Strip since 2005. Palestinians said they were responding to Israel's military actions and the blockade. By January 3, 2009, Israeli tanks and soldiers were invading Gaza with air and naval support. Thirteen Israelis, including ten soldiers, were killed. According to Palestinian sources, more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed and 5,500 injured. Also, 4,000 buildings were destroyed and 20,000 damaged across the Gaza Strip.

Israel began an operation in Gaza on November 14, 2012. It lasted eight days. On July 7, 2014, Hamas said it was responsible for rocket attacks against Israel after some of its members were killed. This led to Israel launching an operation the next day. In May 2021, another round of fighting happened between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. It lasted eleven days. On October 7, 2023, the 2023 Israel–Hamas war started. On November 2, Israel began the siege of Gaza City.

Chronology of Control Over Gaza

The red bars in the timeline below show times when the group had limited self-rule, not full control.