Gaza Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territory Travel Guide
To the east and north, the Gaza Strip shares a border with Israel. Egypt lies to its southwest. The Mediterranean Sea forms its western boundary. The terrain here is mainly a low, flat, or gently undulating coastal plain. Sand dunes cover much of the coastline.
Gaza City ranks among the oldest continually inhabited cities worldwide, with a history stretching back over 5,000 years. This long history highlights its strategic location, a prize for numerous empires and cultures.
Ancient Egyptians, Philistines, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks (including Alexander the Great), Romans, and Byzantines all left their mark on Gaza. Its early Islamic caliphates era experienced the city thrive as a learning center. Crusaders later controlled the city, followed by Mamluks and then the Ottomans.
Ottoman rule lasted for four centuries, from 1517 to 1917, during which Gaza functioned as an important administrative hub. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the First World War, the British Mandate for Palestine included Gaza. Succeeding the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Gaza Strip came under Egyptian administration. This period lasted until 1967, when Israel occupied the Gaza Strip during the Six-Day War.
A turning point arrived with the 1993 Oslo Accords. These agreements granted the Palestinian Authority limited autonomy in Gaza City. However, the situation remained complex. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its settlements and military presence from the Gaza Strip. Control of the Gaza Strip shifted to Hamas in 2007, leading to an Israeli-Egyptian blockade.
Gaza as an administrative hub.
Gaza included in the mandate for Palestine.
Gaza Strip under Egyptian control.
After the Six-Day War.
Shift in control and Israeli-Egyptian blockade.
This blockade significantly influenced the lives of Gaza's residents, restricting the movement of products plus residents. Gaza City has since become a focal stage in multiple conflicts between Israel and Palestinian militant groups. These conflicts have profoundly influenced the city's infrastructure, economy, and population.
Gaza City currently faces an extreme humanitarian crisis. Ongoing conflict, extensive destruction, and a severe blockade that traditional tourism to Gaza City is not possible.
The city's infrastructure, including residential areas, hospitals, schools, and historical sites, has suffered widespread damage. The population experiences severe shortages of food, clean water, electricity, and medical supplies. Most residents have faced displacement.
Gaza continues its existence, a place of immense human struggle and profound historical depth, where the focus remains on humanitarian aid, recovery, and the enduring resilience of its people.
Gaza City, a historical nexus of trade and culture, currently faces an extreme humanitarian crisis. Ongoing conflict, extensive destruction, and a severe blockade mean that traditional tourism to Gaza City is not possible.
Entry for foreign nationals is extraordinarily restricted, limited almost exclusively to authorized humanitarian aid workers, journalists, and diplomatic personnel with pre-approved permits. For those few individuals granted entry for essential work, Gaza has a challenging and high-risk environment. Security protocols are stringent, and movement is often limited.
Widespread damage to residential areas, hospitals, and schools.
Severe shortages of food, water, electricity, and healthcare supplies.
The economy has largely collapsed, with widespread unemployment.
Access is extraordinarily restricted, mainly for authorized aid workers, journalists, and diplomatic personnel.
