Ancient History

Dating back as far as biblical times, the land known as Gaza has been an important region for those living in the surrounding area. History states, that Gaza used to be the residence of the Egyptian governor, and other various foreign powers. The land of Gaza is also mentioned in the Old Testament, where Samson was laid to rest after being delivered by Delilah and toppling the Temple of the God, Dagon.

In the 13th century BCE, the land was conquered by the
Philistines. They created a coastal power base, with Gaza as the center.
During the 7th century, the Gaza territory came under Muslim rule. For the next 2,000 years, various governments, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Persians, would rule the region.

1517 -1940’s

From 1517 to World War I, the Gaza Strip was under Ottoman rule, when the British claimed the territory. But the Israeli War of Independence brought an end to the British rule in 1948. The Formation of Israel angered the Arabs, and led to the Arab- Israeli war of 1948. After about a year of fighting, a temporary cease-fire was declared. During this time, Egypt took control of Strip and the Armistice Agreements were formed which created “the Green Line”, which set the boundaries for the Gaza Strip.