قطاع غزة Gaza Strip
Largest city		Gaza City
Official languages		Arabic
Government		Hamas-led de facto government
-	Prime Minister	Ismail Haniyeh
-	President	Mahmoud Abbas
Organized		September 13, 1993 Oslo accords
-	Signed	PA took partial control in May 1994, and full control in September 2005 (Israel retains control of airspace and offshore maritime access)
Area
-	Total	360 km² (201st) 139 sq mi
Population
-	July 2007 estimate	1,482,405 (149th1)
-	Density	4,118/km² (6th1) 10,665/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		estimate
-	Total	$770 million (160th1)
-	Per capita	600 $ (167th1)
Currency		Israeli new sheqel Egyptian Pound (de facto) (ILS)
Time zone		(UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	(UTC+3)
Calling code		+970

The Gaza Strip (Arabic: قطاع غزة‎ transliteration: Qitˁɑ' Ġazzah/Qita' Ghazzah, Hebrew: רצועת עזה‎ Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the north and east. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Ismail Haniyeh ( Arabic: إسماعيل هنية sometimes transliterated as Ismail Haniya or Ismail Haniyah) (born January 1963 is a President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a particular country on top of its territory and Territorial waters or more generally any specific three-dimensional Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare sizes of different geographic regions we list here Areas between 10 km² (1000 Hectares and 100 km² (10000 hectares This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl The Egyptian pound or gineih (الجنيه المصرى el-Gineih el-Miṣrī) ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Different approaches and methods for the Romanization of Arabic exist This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. It is about 41 kilometers (25 mi) long, and between 6 and 12 kilometers (4–7. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 5 mi) wide, with a total area of 360 square kilometers (139 sq mi). Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile.

The territory takes its name from Gaza, its main city. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. It has about 1. 4 million Palestinian (or Gazan) residents. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn ^[1]

Governance

Main article: Governance of the Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip is not recognized internationally as part of any sovereign country. Since the 2007 battle for Gaza, the Gaza Strip has been controlled by Hamas, while Hamas' political and military rival Fatah, controls Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself It is claimed by the Palestinian National Authority as part of the Palestinian territories, though following the June 2007 battle of Gaza, actual control of the area is in the hands of the de facto government dominated by Hamas. Name There are differences of opinion as to what the Palestinian territories should be called The Battle of Gaza ( معركة غزّة) was a Military conflict between Hamas and Fatah which took place between June 7 and Since the 2007 battle for Gaza, the Gaza Strip has been controlled by Hamas, while Hamas' political and military rival Fatah, controls Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Israel, which occupied the Gaza Strip from 1967-2005, still controls the strip's airspace, territorial water and offshore maritime access, as well as its side of the Gaza-Israeli border. Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a particular country on top of its territory and Territorial waters or more generally any specific three-dimensional Egypt, which occupied the Gaza Strip from 1948-1967 controls the southern border between the Gaza strip and the Sinai desert. The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء

History

See also: History of Palestine and History of the Levant

Ancient history until mid 16th century (15th century BC-1517)

The first recorded mention of the city of Gaza was a reference by Pharaoh Thutmose II (18th dynasty; 15th century BC), though the actual habitation no doubt predates that official record. The History of Palestine is the account of events in the greater geographic area in the Southern Levant known as Palestine, which includes not just the West Bank The Levant is a geographical term that refers to a large area in Southwest Asia, south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. Thutmose II (sometimes read as Thutmosis, or Tuthmosis II and meaning Thoth is Born) was the fourth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth It is also mentioned in the Amarna letters, an archive of clay tablets with diplomatic and administrative correspondence between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru in the New Kingdom. The Amarna letters (sometimes "Amarna correspondence" or "Amarna tablets" are an archive of correspondence on Clay tablets mostly diplomatic Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. Amurru (or Martu) are names given in Akkadian and Sumerian texts to the god of the Amorite /Amurru people often forming part of personal The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in Ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and The first substantive mention of Gaza in the Bible is in Joshua 10:41, which took place around 1451 B. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Joshua, Jehoshuah, or Yehoshua ( 'יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Tiberian: jə C. according to Ussher's chronology. The Ussher chronology is a 17th-century Chronology of the History of the world formulated from a literal reading of the Bible by James Ussher

Because of its strategic position on the ancient trade route of Via Maris, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia, Gaza experienced little peace in antiquity. A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo Via Maris is the modern name for an ancient Trade route, dating from the early Bronze Age, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding Throughout its history it was a prosperous trade center, sitting as it does on the ancient Sea Road.

The area was under Egyptian occupation for over 300 years when the Philistines took control and settled the city and surrounding area. The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan, Gaza became an important Philistine trading center and part of the Pentapolis (league of five cities). A pentapolis, from the Greek words penta 'five' and Polis 'city(-state' is geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities

The Bible makes a reference to Gaza as the place where Samson was delivered into bondage by Delilah and where he died while toppling the temple of the god Dagon. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Samson, Shimshon ( Hebrew: שמשון, Standard Šimšon Tiberian Šimšôn; meaning Delilah ( דלילה - D+*uL+iJ+L+oH+, Standard Hebrew meaning " who weakened or uprooted or impoverished" from the root dal meaning Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god reportedly of grain and agriculture [1][2] It fell to the Israelite King David in 1000 BC. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible

The area fell to the Assyrians in 732 BC, to the Egyptians, to the Babylonians in 586 BC, Persians in 525 BC, and the Macedonians. Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Ancient Macedonians (Μακεδόνες Makedónes were an ancient tribe which inhabited the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axius, north Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great met stiff resistance there in 332 BC. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' After conquering it, he sold its inhabitants into slavery. [3] [4] [5]

In 145 BC Gaza was conquered by Jonathan the Hasmonean (Brother of Judah the Maccabee). Jonathan Maccabaeus was leader of the Hasmonean Dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BCE Judas Maccabeus (or Judah Maccabee, also spelled Machabeus or Maccabaeus Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, Yehudah HaMakabi, Judah the Hammer In Hellenistic and Roman times the harbour, about 3 miles (5 km) from the city proper, was called Neapolis (Greek: “New City”). This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial

The Via Maris (purple), King's Highway (red), and other ancient Levantine trade routes, c. 1300 BC

It was conquered by Arabs in the 630s after a siege during which the Jewish population of the city defended it alongside the Byzantine garrison. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Believed to be the site where Muhammad's great grandfather was buried, the city became an important Islamic center. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics In the 12th century, Gaza was taken by Christian Crusaders; it returned to Muslim control in 1187. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion

Ottoman and British control (1517-1948)

In 1517 Gaza fell to the Ottomans and was part of the Ottoman Empire until the First World War. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

Starting in the early 19th century, Gaza was culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt. Though part of the Ottoman Empire, a large number of its residents were Egyptians (and their descendants) who had fled political turmoil. [6]

The region served as a battlefield during the First World War (1914-18). World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Gaza Strip was taken by the British in the Third Battle of Gaza on 7 November 1917. The Third Battle of Gaza was fought in 1917 in southern Palestine during World War I. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Following World War I, Gaza became part of the British Mandate of Palestine under the authority of the League of Nations. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 [7]

Jews were present in Gaza until 1929, when a long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated and erupted into a series of violent demonstrations and riots and forced the Gaza Jews to leave the area. The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit In the summer of 1929 a long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated and erupted into a series of After that the British prohibited Jews from living in the Gaza area, though some Jews returned and, in 1946, established kibbutz Kfar Darom near the Egyptian border. [8]

British rule of Palestine ended with the Israeli War of Independence in 1948.

Egyptian occupation (1948-67)

Main article: Occupation of the Gaza Strip by Egypt

According to the terms of the 1947 United Nations partition plan, the Gaza area was to become part of a new Palestinian Arab state. Occupation of the Gaza Strip by Egypt: 1947 - October 1956 March 1957 - June 1967 The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine or United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was a plan approved by the General Assembly on November 29 Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently Following the dissolution of the British mandate of Palestine and 1947-1948 Civil War in Palestine, Israel declared its independence in May 1948. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The 1947-1948 Civil War in the Mandatory Palestine lasted from 30 November 1947 with the United Nations vote in favour of the termination of the British Mandate of Palestine The Israeli Declaration of Independence (הכרזת העצמאות Hakhrazat HaAtzma'ut or מגילת העצמאות Megilat HaAtzma'ut) made on 14 May The Egyptian army invaded the area from the south, starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. [9]

The Gaza Strip as it is known today was the product of the subsequent 1949 Armistice Agreements between Egypt and Israel, often referred to as the Green Line. The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan The term Green Line is used to refer to the 1949 Armistice lines established between Israel and its neighbours ( Egypt, Jordan, Egypt occupied the Strip from 1949 (except for four months of Israeli occupation during the 1956 Suez Crisis) until 1967. The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh The Strip's population was greatly augmented by an influx of Palestinian Arab refugees who fled or were expelled from Israel during the fighting.

Towards the end of the war, the All-Palestine Government (Arabic: حكومة عموم فلسطين hukumat 'umum Filastin) was proclaimed in Gaza City on 22 September 1948 by the Arab League. The Whole-Palestine Government (Arabic حكومة عموم فلسطين Hukumat 'umum Filastin) was established in Gaza by the Arab League on Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية It was conceived partly as an Arab League attempt to limit the influence of Transjordan over the Palestinian issue. The Emirate of Transjordan ( Arabic: ar إمارة شرق الأردن) was a former Ottoman territory incorporated into the British Mandate of Palestine The government was not recognized by Transjordan or any non-Arab country. It was little more than a façade under Egyptian control, had negligible influence or funding, and subsequently moved to Cairo. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip or Egypt were issued All-Palestine passports until 1959, when Gamal Abdul Nasser, President of Egypt, annulled the All-Palestine government by decree. Gamal Abdel Nasser (جمال عبد الناصر Gamāl ‘Abd an-Nāṣir; - January 15 1918 September 28 1970) was the second President

Egypt never annexed the Gaza Strip, but instead treated it as a controlled territory and administered it through a military governor. [10] The refugees were never offered Egyptian citizenship.

During the Sinai campaign of November 1956, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula were overrun by Israeli troops. The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء International pressure soon forced Israel to withdraw. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

Israeli occupation (1967-2005)

Israel occupied the Gaza Strip again in June 1967 during the Six-Day War. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt The military occupation lasted for 38 years, until 2005. However, Israel retains control of air space, territorial waters, offshore maritime access, the population registry, entry of foreigners, imports and exports as well as the tax system. ^[2]

During the period of Israeli occupation, Israel created a settlement bloc, Gush Katif in the south west corner of the Strip near Rafah and the Egyptian border. Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai In total Israel created 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip, comprising some 20% of the total terroritory. Besides ideological reasons for being there, these settlements also served Israel's security concerns. The Gaza Strip remained under Israeli military administration until 1994. During that period the military administration was also responsible for the maintenance of civil facilities and services.

In March 1979 Israel and Egypt signed the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Among other things, the treaty provided for the withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula which Israel had captured during the Six-Day War. The final status of the Gaza Strip as with relations between Israel and Palestinians was not dealt with in the treaty. The treaty did settle the international border between Gaza Strip and Egypt. Egypt renounced all territorial claims to the region beyond the international border.

In May 1994, following the Palestinian-Israeli agreements known as the Oslo Accords, a phased transfer of governmental authority to the Palestinians took place. Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles Much of the Strip (except for the settlement blocs and military areas) came under Palestinian control. The Israeli forces left Gaza City and other urban areas, leaving the new Palestinian Authority to administer and police the Strip. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian Authority, led by Yasser Arafat, chose Gaza City as its first provincial headquarters. Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini ( Arabic: محمد عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني (August 24 1929 – November 11 In September 1995, Israel and the PLO signed a second peace agreement extending the Palestinian Authority to most West Bank towns. The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip or Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, or simply the Interim Agreement, also known as Oslo 2 (or The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria The agreement also established an elected 88-member Palestinian National Council, which held its inaugural session in Gaza in March 1996. The Palestinian National Council (PNC is the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization and elects its Executive Committee which assumes leadership of the

The PA rule of the Gaza Strip and West Bank under leadership of Arafat suffered from serious mismanagement and corruption. Exorbitant bribes were demanded for allowing goods to pass in and out of the Gaza Strip, while heads of the Preventive Security Service apparatus profited from their involvement in the gravel import and cement and construction industries, like the Great Arab Company for Investment and Development, the al-Motawaset Company and the al-Sheik Zayid construction project. [11]

The Second Intifada broke out in September 2000. In February 2005, the Israeli government voted to implement a unilateral disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in The plan began to be implemented on 15 August 2005 (the day after Tisha B'av) and was completed on 12 September 2005. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tisha B'Av (תשעה באב or he ט׳ באב "the Ninth of Av," is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day ( Tisha Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Under the plan, all Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip (and four in the West Bank) and the nearby Erez bloc were dismantled with the removal of all 9,000 Israeli settlers (most of them in the Gush Katif settlement area in the Strip's southwest) and military bases. Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War. Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. On 12 September 2005 the Israeli cabinet formally declared an end to Israeli military rule in the Gaza Strip. To avoid any allegation that it was still in occupation of any part of the Gaza Strip, Israel also withdrew from the Philadelphi Route, which is a narrow strip adjacent to the Strip's border with Egypt, after Egypt's agreement to secure its side of the border. The Philadelphi Route (corridor / buffer zone was an IDF code name for the strip of land along the border between Egypt and Israel. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Under the Oslo Accords the Philadelphi Route was to remain under Israeli control, to prevent the smuggling of materials (such as ammunition) and people across the border with Egypt. Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles The Philadelphi Route (corridor / buffer zone was an IDF code name for the strip of land along the border between Egypt and Israel. With Egypt agreeing to patrol its side of the border, it was hoped that the objective would be achieved.

Palestinian Authority control (2005-2007)

In accordance with the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority took over the administrative authority of the Gaza Strip (other than the settlement blocs and military areas) in 1994. Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles After the complete Israeli withdrawal of Israeli settlers and military from the Gaza Strip on 12 September 2005, the Palestinian Authority had complete administrative authority in the Gaza Strip. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in

Since the Israeli withdrawal the Rafah Border Crossing has been supervised by EU Border Assistance Mission Rafah under an Agreement finalised in November 2005. The Rafah Border Crossing ( تقاطع حدود رفح, מעבר רפיח) is an international border crossing between Egyptian and Palestinian-controlled The European Union Border Assistance Mission Rafah (EU BAM Rafah is after the EU Police Mission for the Gaza Strip (EU COPPS the EU's second Civilian Crisis Management Mission

Israel continues to assert control over activities that rely on transit through Israel, as well as air space over and sea access to ports in Gaza. Israel approves all immigration to and emigration from Gaza via Israel, as well as entry by foreigners via Israel, imports and exports via Israel, and collection and reimbursement of value-added tax in Israel. Value added tax ( VAT) or goods and services tax ( GST) is a consumption Tax levied on value added.

Palestinians and others maintain that the Israeli occupation is not over because of this Israeli control -- instead of a military occupation, they are now in a state of siege. The Israeli human rights organization B'tselem said in November 2006 that "the broad scope of Israeli control in the Gaza Strip creates a strong case for the claim that Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip continue. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled B'Tselem (בצלם "in the image of" as in Genesis) is an Israeli Non-governmental organization (NGO that describes "^[3] University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, law professor Iain Scobbie noted in 2006 that "Israel retains absolute authority over Gaza’s airspace and territorial sea. The University of London is a university based primarily in London, England, UK. It is manifestly exercising governmental authority in these areas. . . . it is clear that Israeli withdrawal of land forces did not terminate occupation. "^[4] And according to some Palestinians, Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip continued. "They control the water, the sky and the passages. How can you say occupation is over?" said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat in 2005. ^[5] Similar viewpoints have been presented by many other Palestinian organizations and leaders. ^[6][7][8] The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights also argues that the Gaza Strip remains occupied by Israel. ^[9]

Prior to Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the United States considered the Gaza Strip to be an Israel-occupied territory. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Following the withdrawal, no official US government statement has been made on the status of the Strip. However, the CIA World Factbook (an official U. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the S. government publication), which was last updated in 2007, continues to list the Gaza Strip as an Israeli-occupied territory. The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West

On the other hand, Israel and others claim that Gaza is no longer occupied as it doesn't exercise effective control or authority over any land or institutions in the Gaza Strip. [12][13] According to the The Hague convention of 1907 'Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army', and 'the occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised. The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and ' It also says that '[The occupying power] must safeguard the capital of these properties [like public buildings , real estate, and other land], and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct. ' It seems clear that Israel is in no such position regarding the Gaza Strip, as the IDF doesn't control any part of Gaza anymore. Israel doesn't administer any property belonging to Gazans (besides controlling all imports and exports) nor any means of transportation (except for the naval blockade). The Hague convention also implies that occupation is a condition applying between states. When the Israeli army left Gaza, an unclear legal situation was created, as Gaza doesn't belong to any sovereign state. Moreover, some argue that, if Israel would still occupy Gaza, this would mean it has the right or even the duty to maintain law and order there. [14]

Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections. On January 25 2006, elections were held for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority However, when a Hamas-controlled government was formed, continuing to refuse to recognise Israel, renounce violence and agree to honour agreements previously made by the PLO, Israel, the United States, Canada, and the European Union froze all funds to the Hamas-controlled government. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in They view Hamas as a terrorist organization. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion

In December 2006, news reports indicated that a number of Palestinians were leaving the Gaza Strip, due to political disorder and economic stagnation there. ^[10]

In January 2007, fighting continued between Hamas and Fatah, without any progress towards resolution or reconciliation. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير The worst clashes occurred in the northern Gaza Strip, where Gen. Muhammed Gharib, a senior commander of the Fatah-dominated Preventative Security Force, was killed when a rocket hit his home. Gharib's two daughters and two bodyguards were also killed in the attack, which was carried out by Hamas gunmen. ^[11]

At the end of January 2007, it appeared that a newly-negotiated truce between Fatah and Hamas was starting to take hold . ^[12] However, after a few days, new fighting broke out. ^[13] Fatah fighters stormed a Hamas-affiliated university in the Gaza Strip. Officers from Abbas' presidential guard battled Hamas gunmen guarding the Hamas-led Interior Ministry. ^[14]

In May 2007, the deal between Hamas and Fatah appeared to be weaker, as new fighting broke out between the factions. This was considered a major setback. ^[15] 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 factions. Talab al-Qawasmi is a Palestinian politician He was born in Gaza, although his family originated from Hebron in the modern-day West Bank and emigrated ^[16]

Fighting spread in the Gaza Strip with both factions attacking vehicles and facilities of the other side. In response to constant attacks by rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, Israel launched an air strike which destroyed a building used by Hamas. Some Palestinians said the violence could bring the end of the Fatah-Hamas coalition government, and possibly the end of the Palestinian authority. The Palestinian cabinet that was formed on March 17 2007 ( المجلس الفلسطيني لآذار 17 2007) by Palestinian Prime Minister ^[17]

Hamas spokeman Moussa Abu Marzouk placed the blame for the worsening situation in the Strip upon Israel, stating that the constant pressure of economic sanctions upon Gaza resulted in the "real explosion". Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة ^[18] Expressions of concerns were received from many Arab leaders, with many offering to try to help by doing some diplomatic work between the two factions. ^[19] One journalist 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. I have seen a lot in my years as a journalist in Gaza, but this is the worst it's been. ^[20]

Hamas control (2007-Present)

In June 2007, the Palestinian Civil War between Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) and Fatah (Palestine Liberation Movement) intensified. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير Hamas routed Fatah, and by 14 June 2007, the Gaza Strip was completely overrun by Hamas, which now effectively controlled the Gaza Strip and proclaimed itself to be the legitimate government of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Battle of Gaza ( معركة غزّة) was a Military conflict between Hamas and Fatah which took place between June 7 and Since the 2007 battle for Gaza, the Gaza Strip has been controlled by Hamas, while Hamas' political and military rival Fatah, controls Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded by declaring a state of emergency, dissolving the unity government and forming a new government without Hamas participation. The President of the Palestinian National Authority ( رئيس السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية) is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies PNA security forces in the West Bank arrested a number of Hamas members and closed some Hamas offices. The Preventive Security Service ( الأمن الوقائي) is the official security apparatus of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria

After Hamas' victory in June, it started ousting Fatah-linked officials from positions of power and authority in the Strip (such as government positions, security services, universities, newspapers etc) and strove to enforce law in the Strip by progressively removing guns from the hands of peripheral militias, clans, and criminal groups, and gaining control of smuggling tunnels. According to Amnesty International, under Hamas rule, newspapers have been closed down and journalists have been harassed. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to ^[21] Fatah demonstrations have been forbidden or suppressed, as in the case of a large demonstration on the anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death, which resulted in the deaths of seven people by Hamas, after protesters hurled stones at Hamas security forces. Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini ( Arabic: محمد عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني (August 24 1929 – November 11 ^[22]

Christians are being threatened and assaulted in the Gaza Strip. The owner of a Christian bookshop was abducted and murdered,[15], and on February 15, 2008, the Christian Youth Organization's library in Gaza City was bombed. [16] Hamas condemns these attacks.

Since the refusal by Israel and its allies to recognize the democratic election of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the EU Border Monitors at the Rafah Crossing have not been able to perform their functions under the Agreement, citing security concerns, resulting in the Rafah Crossing being mostly closed. The Rafah Border Crossing ( تقاطع حدود رفح, מעבר רפיח) is an international border crossing between Egyptian and Palestinian-controlled The only land access into the Strip to Israel is via the Erez and Karni crossings. The Erez Crossing (מעבר ארז is a pedestrian/ Cargo terminal on the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier. The Karni Crossing (معبر كارني or معبر المنطار מעבר קרני is a Cargo terminal on the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier. Meanwhile Israeli and Egyptian security reports claim that Hamas continued smuggling in large quantities of explosives and arms from Egypt through tunnels. Egyptian security forces uncovered 60 tunnels in 2007. [17]

While clamping down on lawlessness in the Strip, Hamas and other armed groups have continued to fire Qassam rockets from the Strip across the border into Israel, targeting nearby Israeli localities. The Qassam rocket ( صاروخ القسام; also Kassam) is a simple steel Rocket filled with explosives produced by Hamas. According to Israel, since the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip until the end of January 2008, 697 rockets and 822 mortar bombs have been fired at Israeli towns. [18] In response, Israel targeted Qassam launchers and military targets and on September 19, 2007, declared the Gaza Strip a hostile entity, to make it possible to cut fuel and electricity supplies. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In January 2008 the situation escalated and Israel curtailed travel from Gaza and entry of goods, and decided to cut fuel supplies to the Strip on January 19, resulting in power shortages. This brought charges that Israel was inflicting collective punishment on the Gaza population, leading to international condemnation. Despite multiple reports from within the Strip that food and other essentials were in extremely short supply, Israel countered that Gaza had enough food and energy supplies for weeks. [19] In early March 2008, air strikes and ground incursions into the Strip by the IDF led to the deaths of over 110 Palestinians — mostly civilians, and extensive damage to Jabalia. Jabalya (جباليا is a Palestinian City located four kilometers north of Gaza City ^[23]

Current situation

Abbas' government has won widespread international support. Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia said in late June 2007 that the West Bank-based Cabinet formed by Abbas was the sole legitimate Palestinian government, and Egypt moved its embassy from Gaza to the West Bank. Abbas (or Abbass, عباس) means "austere" in Arabic. [20]. The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip faces international diplomatic and economic isolation.

However, both Saudi Arabia and Egypt support reconciliation and the forming of a new unity government, and press Abbas to start serious talks with Hamas. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Abbas has always conditioned this on Hamas ceding control of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is supported by Syria and Iran, and is believed to have brought in large sums of money from the latter. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Hamas fighters are also believed to have received training in Iran. Hamas has been invited to and has visited a number of countries, including Russia, and in the USA and EU countries, opposition parties and politicians have called for a dialogue with Hamas and an end to the economic sanctions. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

On January 23, 2008, after months of preparation during which the steel reinforcement of the border barrier was weakened[21], Hamas destroyed several parts of the wall dividing Gaza and Egypt in the town of Rafah. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai Hundreds of thousands of Gazans crossed the border into Egypt seeking food and supplies. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered his troops to allow the Palestinians in, due to the crisis, but to verify that they did not bring weapons back. ^[24] Egypt arrested and later released several armed Hamas militants in the Sinai who presumably wanted to infiltrate into Israel. At the same time, Israel increased its state of alert along the length of the Israel-Egypt Sinai border, and warned its citizens to leave Sinai "without delay". The EU Border Monitors have indicated their readiness to return to monitor the border, should Hamas guarantee their safety; while the Palestinian Authority has demanded that Egypt deal only with the Authority in negotiations relating to borders. Israel has eased up some influx of goods and medical supplies to the strip, but it has curtailed electricity by 5% in one of its ten lines, while Hamas and Egypt have shored up some of the gaping holes between the two areas. [22] The first attempts by Egypt to reclose the border were met by violent clashes with Gaza gunmen, but after 12 days the borders were sealed again. [23] In mid-February there had still been no agreement reached between the parties on conditions for reopening the Rafah crossing. [24] In February 2008 an Haaretz poll indicated that 64% of Israelis favour their government holding direct talks with Hamas in Gaza about a cease-fire and to secure the release of Gilad Shalit,^[25] an Israeli soldier who was abducted in a cross border raid by Palestinian militants on 25 June 2006 and has been held hostage since. (הארץ "The land" referring to the Land of Israel) founded in 1918 is Israel 's oldest Daily newspaper. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. In Criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or Asportation of a person against the person's will usually to hold the person in False imprisonment Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[26][27][28]

In February 2008, Israeli-Palestinian fighting intensified with rockets launched at Israeli cities and Israel attacking Palestinian militants. An increase in rocket attacks lead to a heavy Israeli military action on March 1, resulting in over 100 Palestinians being killed according to BBC News, as well as 2 Israeli soldiers. Israeli human rights group B'Tselem estimated that 45 of those killed were not involved in hostilities, and 15 were minors. B'Tselem (בצלם "in the image of" as in Genesis) is an Israeli Non-governmental organization (NGO that describes ^[29] .

Geography

Gaza Strip Palestinian territories v • d • e

North Gaza Gaza GAZA CITY Deir al-Balah Khan Yunis Rafah

Main article: Geography of the Gaza Strip

Principal geographical features of Israel and south-eastern Mediterranean region

The Gaza Strip is located in the Middle East (at 31°25′N 34°20′E). Name There are differences of opinion as to what the Palestinian territories should be called The North Gaza Governorate ( محافظة شمال غزة) is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority in the Gaza Strip which is administered The Gaza Governorate ( محافظة غزة) is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority located in the north central Gaza Strip which Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. The Deir el-Balah Governorate is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority in the central Gaza Strip which is administered by the Palestinian The Khan Yunis Governorate is one of 16 Governorates of the Palestinian National Authority, located in the southern Gaza Strip. The Rafah Governorate (محافظة رفح is an administrative district of the Palestinian National Authority in the southernmost portion of the Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip is located in the Middle East (at 31 25 N 34 20 E and consists of around 360sq km The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. It has a 51 kilometers (32 mi) border with Israel, and an 11 km border with Egypt, near the city of Rafah. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Rafah (رفح is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border and a nearby town on the Egyptian side of the border on the Sinai Khan Yunis is located 7 kilometers (4 mi) northeast of Rafah, and several towns around Deir el-Balah are located along the coast between it and Gaza City. Khan Yunis (خان يونس literally Jonah 's Inn) is a city and adjacent Refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. This article is about a Palestinian city for the nearby refugee camp see Deir el-Balah camp. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun are located to the north and northeast of Gaza City, respectively. Beit Lahia (بيت لاهيا is a city located north of Jabalia, near Beit Hanoun and the 1949 Armistice Line with Israel. Beit Hanoun (بيت حانون is a city on the north-east edge of the Gaza Strip. The Gush Katif bloc of Israeli localities 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. Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes.

Gaza strip has a temperate climate, with mild winters, and dry, hot summers subject to drought. A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply The terrain is flat or rolling, with dunes near the coast. The highest point is Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda), at 105 meters (344 ft) above sea level. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface Natural resources include arable land (about a third of the strip is irrigated), and recently discovered natural gas. In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Environmental issues include desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; and depletion and contamination of underground water resources. Desertification is the degradation of land in arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting primarily from human activities and influenced by climatic variations Biosalinity is the study and practice of using saline ( salty water for irrigating agricultural crops. Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing Contaminants from Wastewater, both Runoff ( Effluents Waterborne diseases are caused by Pathogenic Microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated Drinking water is consumed Soils retrogression and degradation in the French school of pedology are two regressive evolution processes associated with the loss of equilibrium of a stable Soil

The Strip currently holds the oldest known remains of a man-made bonfire, and some of the world's oldest dated human skeletons. It occupies territory similar to that of ancient Philistia, and is occasionally known by that name. The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan,

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Palestinian territories

In 2007 approximately 1. The Palestinian territories in this context are defined to include West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza strip. 4 million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, of whom almost 1. 0 million are UN-registered refugees. ^[30] The majority of the Palestinians are descendants of refugees who fled from their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The Strip's population has continued to increase since that time, one of the main reasons being a total fertility rate of more than 5 children per woman. The total fertility rate ( TFR, sometimes also called the fertility rate, period total fertility rate (PTFR or total In a ranking by total fertility rate, this places Gaza 19th of 222 regions. [25]

The vast majority of the population are Sunni Muslims, with an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Christians. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth ^[31] The Christian population has been shrinking since Hamas' takeover, due to tensions with the Muslim community and economic sanctions imposed by Israel. In December 2007, Israel has permitted 400 Gaza Christians to travel through Israel to Bethlehem for Christmas. While they are strictly travel permits, many Christian families are taking the opportunity to settle in the West Bank, despite the illegality. The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria [26]

One of the largest foreign communities in the Gaza Strip was the approximately 500 women from the former Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 During the Soviet era, the Communist Party subsidized university studies for thousands of students from Yemen, Egypt, Syria and the territories. Some of them got married during their studies and brought their Russian and Ukrainian wives back home. However, over half of them were able to leave the Strip via the Erez crossing to Amman within days of Hamas' takeover. From there they have flown back to Eastern Europe. [27]

Economy

See also: Palestinian economy

Economic output in the Gaza Strip declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996. The Palestinian economy refers to the economy of the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza strip. This downturn has been variously attributed to corruption and mismanagement by Yasser Arafat, and to Israeli closure policies—the imposition of generalized border closures which disrupted previously established labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the Strip. Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini ( Arabic: محمد عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني (August 24 1929 – November 11 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. A serious negative social effect of this downturn was the emergence of high unemployment.

Israel's use of comprehensive closures decreased during the next few years and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor into Israel. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the Gaza Strip. Recovery ended with the outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada in the last quarter of 2000. 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. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit In 2001, and even more severely in early 2002, internal turmoil and Israeli military measures in Palestinian Authority areas resulted in the destruction of capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Another major factor has been the decline of income earned due to reduction in the number of Gazans permitted entry to work in Israel. After the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the flow of a limited number of workers into Israel again resumed, although Israel has stated its intention to reduce or end such permits due to the victory of Hamas in the 2006 parliamentary elections. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة On January 25 2006, elections were held for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority

The Israeli settlers of Gush Katif built greenhouses and experimented with new forms of agriculture. Gush Katif (גוש קטיף "Harvest Bloc" was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse or hothouse) is a building where plants are cultivated These greenhouses also provided employment for many hundred Gazan Palestinians. When Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in the Summer of 2005, the greenhouses were purchased with money raised by former World Bank president James Wolfensohn, and given to the Palestinian people to jump-start their economy. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e James David Wolfensohn KBE, AO (born December 1, 1933) was the ninth president of the World Bank Group. However, the effort faltered due to limited water supply, inability to export produce due to Israeli border restrictions, and corruption in the Palestinian Authority. ^[32] Most of the greenhouses were subsequently looted or destroyed. ^[33]

According to the CIA World Factbook, GDP in 2001 declined 35% to a per capita income of $625 a year, and 60% of the population is now below the poverty line. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and Gaza Strip industries are generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic Composite material produced by some Mollusks as an inner shell layer Israel supplies the Gaza Strip with electricity. The main agricultural products are olives, citrus, vegetables, Halal beef, and dairy products. The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Halal (حلال ḥalāl, halaal) is an Arabic term meaning permissible. Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows Dairy products are generally defined as Foodstuffs produced from Milk. Primary exports are citrus and cut flowers, while primary imports are food, consumer goods, and construction materials. The main trade partners of the Gaza Strip are Israel, Egypt, and the West Bank.

Before the second Palestinian uprising broke out in September 2000, around 25,000 workers from the Gaza Strip used to work in Israel every day. [28]

Israel, the United States, Canada, and the European Union have frozen all funds to the Palestinian government after the formation of a Hamas-controlled government after its victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة On January 25 2006, elections were held for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority They view the group as a terrorist organization, and have pressured Hamas to recognize Israel, renounce violence, and agree to past agreements. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Since Israel's withdrawal and its subsequent blockade, the gross domestic product of the Gaza Strip has been crippled. The enterprise and industry of the former Jewish villages has been impaired, and the previously established work relationships between Israel and the Gaza Strip have been disrupted. Job opportunities in Israel for Gaza Palestinians have been largely lost. Prior to disengagement, 120,000 Palestinians from Gaza were employed in Israel or in joint projects. Only about 20,000 have been able to keep these jobs.

After the seizure by Hamas militias of the Gaza Strip on 14 June 2007, all contact between the outside world and the Strip has been severed. The only goods permitted into the Strip through the land crossings are goods of a humanitarian nature.

Health

A study carried out by Johns Hopkins University (USA) and Al-Quds University (in Jerusalem) for CARE International in late 2002 revealed very high levels of dietary deficiency among the Palestinian population. Al-Quds University ( جامعة القدس) is a Palestinian University in Jerusalem. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the CARE is one of the largest international relief and Humanitarian organizations in the world with programs in nearly 70 countries The study found that 17. 5% of children aged 6–59 months suffered from chronic malnutrition. Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. 53% of women of reproductive age and 44% of children were found to be anemic. Anemia ( AmE) or anæmia/anaemia ( BrE) (from the Ancient Greek grc-Latn anaîmia, meaning “without blood” is defined as a qualitative In the aftermath of the Israeli withdrawal of August and September 2005, the healthcare system in Gaza continues to face severe challenges. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in PortalCurrent events News collections and sources WikipediaNews collections and sources. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources WikipediaNews collections and sources. This article describes policy-related systems For the article on hospital networks which are sometimes referred to as health care systems see Hospital network. ^[34]After the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip and the subsequent Israeli declaration of Gaza Strip as a "hostile entity", the health conditions in Gaza Strip faces new challenges exacerbated by the intensified Israeli closure. The WHO expressed its concerns about the consequences of the Palestinian internal political fragmentation; the socioeconomic decline; military actions; and the Physical, psychological and economic isolation on the health of the population in Gaza. ^[35]

Gazans requiring medical care in Israeli hospitals have to apply for a medical permit. In 2007, Israel granted 7176 permits and denied 1627. Two women who had received permits were arrested at the crossing when it was found they had plans to blow themselves up in the Israeli hospital. ^[36]

Transport and communication

Damaged part of Yasser Arafat International Airport. Yasser Arafat International Airport (مطار ياسر عرفات الدولي transliterated: Matar Yasir 'Arafat ad-Dowaly, formerly Gaza International Airport

The Gaza Strip has a small, poorly developed road network. It also had a single standard gauge railway line running the entire length of the Strip from north to south along its center; however, it is abandoned, in disrepair, and little trackage remains. The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. The line once connected to the Egyptian railway system to the south, as well as the Israeli system to the north. Egyptian National Railways ( ENR) is the national Railway of Egypt and managed by the Parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority ( ERA Israel Railways (רכבת ישראל Rakévet Yisra'él) is Israel 's government-owned national railway company and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban

The strip's one port was never completed after the outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada. Its airport, the Gaza International Airport, opened on 24 November 1998, as part of agreements stipulated in the Oslo II Accord and the 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum. Yasser Arafat International Airport (مطار ياسر عرفات الدولي transliterated: Matar Yasir 'Arafat ad-Dowaly, formerly Gaza International Airport Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip or Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, or simply the Interim Agreement, also known as Oslo 2 (or Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The Wye River Memorandum was a political agreement negotiated to implement the earlier Interim Agreement of 28 September 1995 brokered by the United States between The airport was closed in October 2000 by Israeli orders, and its runway was destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces in December 2001. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit It has since been renamed Yasser Arafat International Airport. Yasser Arafat International Airport (مطار ياسر عرفات الدولي transliterated: Matar Yasir 'Arafat ad-Dowaly, formerly Gaza International Airport

The Gaza Strip has rudimentary land line telephone service provided by an open-wire system, as well as extensive mobile telephone services provided by PalTel (Jawwal), or Israeli providers such as Cellcom. Gaza is serviced by four internet service providers that now compete for ADSL and dial-up customers. An Internet service provider ( ISP, also called Internet access provider or IAP) is a company which primarily offers their customers access to the Internet Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ( ADSL) is a form of DSL, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over Copper Telephone Most Gaza households have a radio and a TV (70%+), and approximately 20% have a personal computer. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated People living in Gaza have access to FTA satellite programs, broadcast TV from the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, the Israel Broadcasting Authority, and the Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority. Free-to-air (FTA Television (TV and Radio broadcasts are sent unencrypted and may be received via any suitable receiver Free-to-view The Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation ( Arabic: "هيئة الإذاعة و التلفزيون الفلسطينية" The (PBC was established December 1995 Israel Broadcasting Authority (often referred to as the IBA; רָשׁוּת השׁידוּר Rashùt Ha-Shidúr) is Israel 's state broadcasting The Second Israeli Broadcasting Authority law was passed by the Knesset in 1990.

See also

References

• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria The political status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is one of the most violently disputed issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Smuggling tunnels are secret tunnels, usually hidden underground used for Smuggling of Goods and people. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in Gaza Ghetto is the short form title of a documentary film produced by Joan Mandell, Pea Holmquist, and Pierre Bjorklund in 1984 about the life The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the S. government publication, is in the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

External links

• B'Tselem The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories on the status of Gaza since the disengagement.
• Bregman, Ahron (2002). Israel's Wars: A History Since 1947. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415287166 - on Google Book Search
• Ward, Richard J. Google Book Search is a tool from Google that searches the full text of books that Google scans OCRs, and stores in its digital database (1977). The Palestine State: A Rational Approach. London: National University Publications. ISBN 978-0804691598
• Directory of Palestinian related websites
• Nutritional Assessment of the West Bank and Gaza StripPDF (72. 0 bytes)
• 1991 Map of the Gaza Strip from the University of Texas at Austin
• 1999 Map of the Gaza Strip from the University of Texas at Austin
• Gaza women join Hamas fighters by Khaled Abu Toameh, published in the Jerusalem Post August 21, 2005. Khaled Abu Toameh ( خالد أبو طعمة) is an Israeli Arab journalist and documentary filmmaker The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language Broadsheet Newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932
• Gaza Strip at Google Maps
• Palestine Ministry of Health
• Israel and Palestine: A Brief History - MidEast Web for Coexistence
• Special: Gaza kidnapping Israeli News - Ynetnews English version of Yedioth Ahronoth
• History of Gaza from Aldameer
• War Enters the Classrooms - the consequences of the Mideast conflict for the children of the Gaza Strip, by Inter Press Service, February 5, 2007
• "Gaza Still Occupied" by Mazan Human Rights organizationPDF (29. Yedioth Ahronoth (ידיעות אחרונות, lit Latest News) is a major Hebrew language Daily newspaper published in Israel. Inter Press Service (abbreviated IPS) is a global News agency. 6 KiB)
• Hamas In Control of Gaza Strip
• New Palestinian Cabinet Sworn In