The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Israel and Egypt on the Mediterranean coast. It is an area of about 365 square kilometers and is home to 2.1 million Palestinians, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
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Israel maintains direct external control over Gaza and indirect control over life within Gaza: it controls Gaza’s air and maritime space, and six of Gaza’s seven land crossings. It reserves the right to enter Gaza at will with its military and maintains a no-go buffer zone within the Gaza territory.
Gaza is a narrow coastal territory along the Mediterranean Sea, and its status is disputed. Historically, Gaza was part of the British Mandate for Palestine and was administered by Egypt from 1948 until the Six-Day War in 1967.
After the Six-Day War, Israel captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt, but it is not considered sovereign Israeli territory. While Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 in a process known as “Disengagement,” it maintains control over several key aspects of Gaza:
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Israel controls the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza through land crossings. Egypt controls the southern border crossing at Rafah. Israel maintains control over Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters, restricting its ability to engage in international trade and travel by sea.
Israel conducts security operations in and around Gaza, particularly in response to threats and rocket attacks. Israel, along with Egypt, has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007. The blockade restricts the movement of goods and people and has had significant humanitarian and economic consequences for the population.
Politically, the Gaza Strip is governed by the Palestinian organization Hamas, which took control of the territory in 2007 after a conflict with the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, administers parts of the West Bank.
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