Gaza City

Coordinates: 31°31′N 34°27′E / 31.517°N 34.450°E / 31.517; 34.450
Extended-protected article
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Gaza
غَزَّة
Gaza City
Municipality type A (City)
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Latin (official)Ghazzah
 • Latin (DIN 31635)Ġazzah
Rimal before October 2023[a]
City (from 1994[2])
 • Head of MunicipalityYahya Al-Sarraj (installed by Hamas)
Area
[3]
 • Total
45,000 dunams (45 km2 or 17 sq mi)
Population
 (2017 Census)[4]
 • Total
590,481
 • Density13,000/km2 (34,000/sq mi)
Websitemogaza.org

Gaza,[b] also called Gaza City, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Gaza Governorate. Located on the Mediterranean coast, 76.6 kilometres (47.6 mi) southwest of Jerusalem, it is home to Palestine's only port. With a population of 590,481 people as of 2017, Gaza was the most populous city in Palestine prior to the Gaza war, when it was subjected to massive displacement.

Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,

locust swarms, reducing it to a village by the 16th century, when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. During the first half of Ottoman rule, the Ridwan dynasty
controlled Gaza and the city went through an age of great commerce and peace. The municipality of Gaza was established in 1893.

Gaza fell to British forces during

armed conflict broke out between the Palestinian political factions of Fatah and Hamas, resulting in the latter taking power in Gaza. The Gaza Strip was then subject to an Israeli-led, Egyptian-supported blockade.[7] Israel eased the blockade allowing consumer goods in June 2010, and Egypt reopened the Rafah Border Crossing in 2011 to pedestrians.[7][8]
The city was largely destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

The primary economic activities of Gaza are small-scale industries and agriculture. However, the blockade and recurring conflicts have put the economy under severe pressure.

Muslim, although there is also a Christian minority. Gaza has a very young population, with roughly 75% under the age of 25. As of April 2025, almost all residents have fled or been evacuated to the Southern Gaza Strip, or killed as a result of Israel's actions in the north. Therefore, previous recorded or estimated population numbers have become outdated.[10]

Etymology

The name Gaza first appears in military records of

Philistine period, it was known as Hāzat.[13]
It is clear the name originates from none of these languages, however.

Based on the city's modern Hebrew name, עַזָּה‎ ʻAzzā, a common folk etymology insists the name stems from the Hebrew root ע-ז-ז‎ ʻayin-zayin-zayin, from which words related to strength and fierceness are derived,[14] but this is unlikely. The ע‎ in the root ע-ז-ז‎ corresponds to a Proto-Semitic *ʻ sound (compare Hebrew עַז‎ ʻaz with Arabic عَزَّ‎ ʻazza, both meaning "to be strong, powerful, mighty"), while it is clear from city's name in Arabic (غَزَّة‎, Ḡazza), Greek (Γάζα, Gáza), and Egyptian (gꜣḏꜣtw) that the name of Gaza was likely originally pronounced with an initial /ʁ/ sound in Hebrew, and thus can't have been from the same ע-ז-ז‎ root as עַז‎ ʻaz.

Historically, Muslims often referred to the city as Ḡazzat Hāŝim in honor of Hashim, the great-grandfather of Muhammad who, according to Islamic tradition, is buried in the city.[15]

History

Main article: History of Gaza City
See also:
History of the Gaza Strip

Gaza's history of habitation dates back 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.[16] Located on the Mediterranean coastal route between North Africa and the Levant, for most of its history it served as a key entrepôt of southern Palestine and an important stopover on the spice trade route traversing the Red Sea.[16][17]

Early history

Settlement in the region of Gaza dates back to the

Middle Bronze Age, a revived Tell es-Sakan became the southernmost locality in Palestine, serving as a fort. In 1650 BC, when the Canaanite Hyksos occupied Egypt, a second city developed on the ruins of the first Tell as-Sakan. However, it was abandoned by the 14th century BC, at the end of the Bronze Age.[18]

During the reign of

Persian Empire
.

Hellenistic period

besieged Gaza, the last city to resist his conquest on his path to Egypt, for five months before capturing it 332 BC;[19] the inhabitants were either killed or taken captive. Alexander brought in local Bedouins to populate Gaza and organized the city into a polis (or "city-state
").

In

Ptolemy II's successful campaign against the Nabataeans the Ptolemaic fortress of Gaza took control of the spice trade with Gerrha and Southern Arabia
.

Gaza experienced another siege in 96 BC by the

Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus who "utterly overthrew" the city, killing 500 senators who had fled into the temple of Apollo.[22]

Roman period

Statue of Zeus that was unearthed in Gaza in the 20th century

Idumaea by Jannaeus.[23]

Rebuilt after it was incorporated into the

Roman province of Judaea.[19] It was targeted by Jewish forces during their rebellion against Roman rule in 66 and was partially destroyed.[24] It nevertheless remained an important city, even more so after the destruction of Jerusalem during the First Jewish–Roman War.[25] Following this, and again at the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 CE), captives were sold into slavery in Gaza.[26]

Throughout the Roman period, Gaza was a prosperous city and received grants and attention from several emperors.

gods and emperors.[27] During his visit in 130 AD,[28] Emperor Hadrian personally inaugurated wrestling, boxing, and oratorical competitions in Gaza's new stadium.[dubious – discuss] The city was adorned with many pagan temples; the main cult being that of Marnas. Other temples were dedicated to Zeus, Helios, Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena and the local Tyche.[19] Christianity began to spread throughout Gaza in 250 AD, including in the port of Maiuma.[29][30][31][32]
First evidence of a Bishop of Gaza is from early 4th century, when St. Sylvan served in that capacity.[33]

Byzantine period

Following the division of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century AD, Gaza remained under control of the

Saint Porphyrius between 396 and 420. In 402, Theodosius II ordered all eight of the city's pagan temples destroyed,[19] and four years later Empress Aelia Eudocia commissioned the construction of a church atop the ruins of the Temple of Marnas.[35] It was during this era that the Christian philosopher Aeneas of Gaza called Gaza, his hometown, "the Athens of Asia."[36] A large synagogue existed in Gaza in the 6th century, according to excavations.[37]

Early Islamic period

Depiction of a Gaza building in the Byzantine Umm ar-Rasas mosaics, circa 8th century AD during the Abbasid Caliphate

In c. 638 Gaza was captured by Arab Muslim forces under Amr ibn al-As, in the years following the Battle of Ajnadayn between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate in central Palestine.[38] It was captured by Amr's forces about three years later. Believed to be the site where Muhammad's great-grandfather Hashim ibn Abd Manaf was buried, Gaza was not destroyed and its inhabitants were not attacked by Amr's army despite the city's stiff and lengthy resistance, though its Byzantine garrison was massacred.[39]

The arrival of the Muslim Arabs brought significant changes to Gaza; at first some of its

Sunni Muslim schools of law (fiqh).[42] Security, which was well-maintained during early Muslim rule, was the key to Gaza's prosperity. Although alcohol was banned in Islam, the Jewish and Christian communities were allowed to maintain wine production, and grapes, a major cash crop of the city, were exported mainly to Egypt.[43]

Because it bordered the

al-Muqaddasi described Gaza as "a large town lying on the highroad to Egypt on the border of the desert."[45] In 978, the Fatimids established an agreement with Alptakin, the Turk ruler of Damascus, whereby the Fatimids would control Gaza and the land south of it, including Egypt, while Alptakin controlled the region north of the city.[46]

Crusader and Ayyubid periods

The

Hulagu Khan completely destroyed Gaza, which became his southernmost conquest.[41]

Mamluk period

Following Gaza's destruction by the Mongols, Muslim slave-soldiers based in Egypt known as the

public baths.[18]

The Mamluks allowed Jews to return to the city, after being expelled by the Crusaders, and the Jewish community prospered during Mamluk rule. Towards the end of the Mamluk period, the Jewish community in Gaza was the third largest in Palestine, after the communities in Safad and Jerusalem.[citation needed] In 1481, an Italian Jewish traveller, Meshulam of Volterra, wrote of Gaza:

It is a fine and renowned place, and its fruits are very renowned and good. Bread and good wine is to be found there, but only Jews make wine. Gaza has a circumference of four miles and no walls. It is about six miles from the sea and situated in a valley and on a hill. It has a population as numerous as the sands of the sea, and there are about fifty (sixty) Jewish householders, artisans. They have a small but pretty Synagogue, and vineyards and fields and houses.[54]

Ottoman period

Painting of Gaza by David Roberts, 1839, in The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia
Gaza in 1841, as mapped by the British Royal Engineers after the Oriental Crisis of 1840
Qur'an with Gaza in the background, painting by Harry Fenn
, circa 1884
Frances Frith

In 1516 Gaza—at the time, a small town with an inactive port, ruined buildings and reduced trade—was incorporated into the

Ahmad ibn Ridwan, the city became a cultural and religious center as a result of the partnership between the governor and prominent Islamic jurist Khayr al-Din al-Ramli, who was based in the nearby town of al-Ramla.[58]

According to

Samaritan community existed in Gaza in 1584. They possessed a large synagogue and two bathhouses. "One of them still bears the name "the Bath of the Samaritans." It is believed the Samaritans were expelled from the city before the turn of the 16th century.[59]

During the rule of

Musa Pasha, Husayn's successor, Ottoman officials were appointed to govern in place of the Ridwans. The Ridwan period was Gaza's last golden age during Ottoman rule. After the family was removed from office, the city gradually declined.[62]

Starting in the early 19th century, Gaza was culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt;

Wadi Arabah and Ma'an.[64] The bazaars of Gaza were well-supplied and were noted by Robinson as "far better" than those of Jerusalem.[65] Robinson noted that virtually all of Gaza's vestiges of ancient history and antiquity had disappeared due to constant conflict and occupation.[66] By the mid-19th century, Gaza's port was eclipsed by the ports of Jaffa and Haifa, but it retained its fishing fleet.[67]

The bubonic plague struck Gaza again in 1839 and the city, lacking political and economic stability, went into a state of stagnation. In 1840 Egyptian and Ottoman troops battled outside of Gaza. The Ottomans won control of the territory, effectively ending Egyptian rule over Palestine. However, the battles brought about more death and destruction in Gaza.[52]

During the late Ottoman period, British ships docking in Gaza were loaded with barley, which was primarily intended for marketing in Scotland for whisky production. Due to the absence of a British consular agent, precise data on the financial value and quantities of the goods are unavailable.[68]

Stages of conflict and occupation

Gaza after surrender to British forces, 1918

While leading the Allied Forces during World War I, the British won control of the city during the Third Battle of Gaza in 1917.[52] After the war, Gaza was included in Mandatory Palestine.[69] In the 1930s and 1940s, Gaza underwent major expansion. New neighborhoods were built along the coast and the southern and eastern plains. International organizations and missionary groups funded most of this construction.[67]

In the 1947

occupied by Egypt following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Gaza's growing population was augmented by an influx of refugees from nearby cities, towns and villages that were captured by Israel. In 1957, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser made a number of reforms in Gaza, which included expanding educational opportunities and the civil services, providing housing, and establishing local security forces.[70]

Gaza was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War following the defeat of the Egyptian Army. Frequent conflicts have erupted between Palestinians and the Israeli authorities in the city since the 1970s. The tensions led to the First Intifada in 1987. Gaza was a center of confrontation during this uprising,[52] and economic conditions in the city worsened.[71]

Palestinian control

See also: Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present) and Gaza Strip evacuations
Gaza City in 2007

In September 1993, the leaders of Israel and the

Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to administer and police the city.[21] The PNA, led by Yasser Arafat, chose Gaza as its first provincial headquarters. The newly established Palestinian National Council held its inaugural session in Gaza in March 1996.[67]

In 2005, Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip and removed the thousands of Israelis who had settled in the territory.

Hamas overthrew Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip and Hamas members were dismissed from the PNA government in the West Bank in response. Hamas, recognized as a terror organization by most western countries, has de facto control of the city and Strip.[73]

El-Remal area in Gaza City on 9 October 2023

In March 2008, a coalition of human rights groups charged that the Israeli blockade of the city had caused the humanitarian situation in Gaza to have reached its worst point since Israel occupied the territory in the 1967 Six-Day War,

assault against Gaza.[75] Israel stated the strikes were in response to repetitive rocket and mortar attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel since 2005, while the Palestinians stated that they were responding to Israel's military incursions and blockade of the Gaza Strip. In January 2009, at least 1,300 Palestinians were killed in the conflict.[76][77]

In November 2012, after

2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, 2,205 Palestinians (including at least 1,483 civilians) and 71 Israelis (including 66 soldiers) and one foreign national in Israel were killed, according to UN OCHA.[79] During the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, the 13-story Hanadi Tower, which contained a political office of Hamas, was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike.[80]

In 2023, the city was again targeted during the Gaza war. On 2 November, the siege of Gaza City started.[81] As of January 2024, Israel’s offensive has either damaged or destroyed 70–80% of all buildings in northern Gaza.[82][83] Gaza was left largely deserted, with about only 300,000 people staying in the city.[84] The remaining population was subjected to a humanitarian crisis and starvation brought on by the war.[85] Seventy percent of the city was destroyed by airstrikes,[86] and more than 39,000 people were killed in the Strip.[87] Israel has been accused of committing a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza during the war, with South Africa initiating proceedings at the International Court of Justice against Israel.[88]

Geography

Beach in Gaza City

Central Gaza is situated on a low-lying and round hill with an elevation of 14 metres (46 ft)

above sea level.[89] Much of the modern city is built along the plain below the hill, especially to the north and east, forming Gaza's suburbs. The beach and the port of Gaza are located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the city's nucleus and the space in between is entirely built up on low-lying hills.[63]

The municipal jurisdiction of the city today constitutes about 45 square kilometres (17 sq mi).

refugee camp of Bureij, and the city of Deir al-Balah to the south.[92]

The population of Gaza depends on groundwater as the only source for drinking, agricultural use, and domestic supply. The nearest

its water supply is diverted into Israel.[94] The Gaza Aquifer along the coast is the main aquifer in the Gaza Strip and it consists mostly of Pleistocene sandstones. Like most of the Gaza Strip, Gaza is covered by quaternary soil; clay minerals in the soil absorb many organic and inorganic chemicals which has partially alleviated the extent of groundwater contamination.[93]

Gaza Strip with Israeli-controlled borders and limited fishing zone, as of December 2012

A prominent hill southeast of Gaza, known as Tell al-Muntar, has an elevation of 270 feet (82 m)

above sea level. For centuries it has been claimed as the place to which Samson brought the city gates of the Philistines. The hill is crowned by a Muslim shrine (maqam) dedicated to Ali al-Muntar. There are old Muslim graves around the surrounding trees,[95] and the lintel of the doorway of the maqam has two medieval Arabic scriptures.[19]

Old City

Main article: Old City of Gaza

The Old City forms the main part of Gaza's nucleus. It is roughly divided into two quarters; the northern

Zaytun Quarter (which contained the Jewish and Christian quarters.) Most structures date from the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, and some were built on top of earlier structures. The ancient part of the Old City is about 1.6 square kilometres (0.62 sq mi).[67]

There were seven historic gates to the Old City: Bab Asqalan (Gate of Ascalon), Bab al-Darum (Gate of Deir al-Balah), Bab al-Bahr (Gate of the Sea), Bab Marnas (Gate of Marnas), Bab al-Baladiyah (Gate of the Town), Bab al-Khalil (Gate of Hebron), and Bab al-Muntar (Gate of Tell al-Muntar).[96]

Some of the older buildings in Gaza's Old City use the

Hamam as-Sammara ("the Samaritan's Bathhouse.")[99]

Districts

Eastern Gaza City

Gaza is composed of thirteen districts (hayy) outside of the Old City.

Ayyubid period.[101] In the northeast is the Mamluk-era district of Tuffah,[102] which is roughly divided into eastern and western halves and was originally located within the Old City's walls.[97]

During the 1930s and 1940s, a new residential district,

Kurdish military units who settled there during the Mamluk era, while Turukman was named after the Turkmen military units who settled there.[101]

View of Gaza from the port

The areas between Rimal and the Old City became the districts of

al-Shati along the coast,[92] although the latter is not under the city's municipal jurisdiction. In the late 1990s, the PNA built the more affluent neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa along the southern edge of Rimal.[106] Along the southern coast of the city is the neighborhood of Sheikh Ijlin.[100]

Climate

Gaza has a

hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh), with Mediterranean characteristics, featuring mild rainy winters and dry hot summers.[107] Spring arrives around March or April and the hottest month is August, with the average high being 31.7 °C (89.1 °F). The coolest month is January with temperatures usually peaking at 18.3 °C (64.9 °F). Rain is scarce and falls almost exclusively between November and March, with annual rainfall totalling approximately 395 millimetres or 15.6 inches.[108]

Climate data for Gaza
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 18.3
(64.9) 		18.9
(66.0) 		21.1
(70.0) 		24.4
(75.9) 		27.2
(81.0) 		29.4
(84.9) 		30.6
(87.1) 		31.7
(89.1) 		30.6
(87.1) 		28.9
(84.0) 		25.0
(77.0) 		20.6
(69.1) 		25.6
(78.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 13.9
(57.0) 		14.5
(58.1) 		16.4
(61.5) 		19.1
(66.4) 		21.8
(71.2) 		24.5
(76.1) 		26.0
(78.8) 		27.0
(80.6) 		25.6
(78.1) 		23.3
(73.9) 		19.8
(67.6) 		16.1
(61.0) 		20.7
(69.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 9.4
(48.9) 		10.0
(50.0) 		11.6
(52.9) 		13.8
(56.8) 		16.4
(61.5) 		19.5
(67.1) 		21.4
(70.5) 		22.2
(72.0) 		20.5
(68.9) 		17.7
(63.9) 		14.5
(58.1) 		11.6
(52.9) 		15.7
(60.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 104
(4.1) 		76
(3.0) 		30
(1.2) 		13
(0.5) 		3
(0.1) 		1
(0.0) 		0
(0) 		1
(0.0) 		3
(0.1) 		18
(0.7) 		64
(2.5) 		81
(3.2) 		394
(15.4)
Average
relative humidity
(%) 		85 84 83 82 84 87 86 87 86 74 78 81 83
Mean monthly sunshine hours 204.6 192.1 241.8 264.0 331.7 339.0 353.4 337.9 306.0 275.9 237.0 204.6 3,288
Mean daily sunshine hours 6.6 6.8 7.8 8.8 10.7 11.3 11.4 10.9 10.2 8.9 7.9 6.6 9.1
Source: Arab Meteorology Book[109]

Demographics

Population

Year Population
1596 6,000[110]
1838 15,000–16,000[64]
1882 16,000[111]
1897 36,000[111]
1906 40,000[111]
1914 42,000[112]
1922 17,480[113]
1931 17,046[114]
1945 34,250[115][116]
1982 100,272[117]
1997 306,113[118]
2007 449,221[4]
2012 590,481[4]

According to Ottoman tax records in 1557, Gaza had 2,477 male taxpayers.

Safad.[110]

In 1838, there were roughly 4,000 Muslim and 100 Christian tax payers, implying a population of about 15,000 or 16,000—making it larger than Jerusalem at the time. The total number of Christian families was 57.[64] Before the outbreak of World War I, the population of Gaza had reached 42,000; however, the fierce battles between Allied Forces and the Ottomans and their German allies in 1917 in Gaza resulted in a massive population decrease.[112] The following census, which was conducted in 1922 by the British Mandate authorities shows a sharp decrease in population which stood at 17,480 residents (16,722 Muslims, 701 Christians, 54 Jews and three Metawilehs).[113] The 1931 census lists 17,046 inhabitants (16,356 Muslims, 689 Christians, and one Jew) and another 4,597 in the suburbs (4,561 Muslims and 36 Christians).[120]

The village statistics of 1938 list Gaza's population as 20,500 with 5,282 in nearby suburbs.[121] The village statistics of 1945 list the population as 34,250 (33,160 Muslims, 1,010 Christians, and 80 Jews).[115]

According to a 1997 census by the

al-Shati camp had a population of 353,115, of which 50.9% were males and 49.1% females. Gaza had an overwhelmingly young population with more than half being 19 and under (60.8%). About 28.8% were between the ages of 20 and 44, 7.7% between 45 and 64, and 3.9% were over the age of 64.[118]

Men from Gaza, 19th century
People in Gaza City in 1956

A massive influx of

United Nations food aid.[67][125]

Religion

The population of Gaza is overwhelmingly composed of Muslims, who mostly follow Sunni Islam.[67] During the Fatimid period, Shia Islam was dominant in Gaza, but after Saladin conquered the city in 1187, he promoted a strictly Sunni religious and educational policy, which at the time was instrumental in uniting his Arab and Turkish soldiers.[18]

Gaza is home to a small

Baptist denominations.[127] In 1906, there were about 750 Christians, of which 700 were Orthodox and 50 were Roman Catholic.[111]

Gaza's Jewish community was roughly 3,000 years old,[67] and in 1481 there were sixty Jewish households.[128] At the time of the 1929 Palestine riots, there were fifty families living in Gaza, most of whom fled after the riots.[67] In Sami Hadawi's land and population survey, Gaza had a population of 34,250, including 80 Jews in 1945.[115] Most of them left the city after the 1948 War, due to mutual distrust between them and the Arab majority.[129] Today, there are no Jews living in Gaza.[130]

Economy

Main article:
Economy of Gaza
Gaza City in 2012
Gaza park, 2012
A beach resort in Gaza City

The major agricultural products are strawberries, citrus, dates, olives, flowers, and various vegetables. Pollution and high demand for water have reduced the productive capacity of farms in the Gaza Strip.[67] Small-scale industries include the production of plastics, construction materials, textiles, furniture, pottery, tiles, copperware, and carpets. Since the Oslo Accords, thousands of residents have been employed in government ministries and security services, UNRWA and international organizations.[67] Minor industries include textiles and food processing. A variety of wares are sold in Gaza's street bazaars, including carpets, pottery, wicker furniture, and cotton clothing. The upscale Gaza Mall opened in July 2010.[131][132]

A report by human rights and development groups published in 2008 stated that Gaza had suffered a long term pattern of economic stagnation and dire development indicators, the severity which was increased exponentially by the Israeli and Egyptian blockades.[9] The report cited a number of economic indicators to illustrate the point: In 2008, 95% of Gaza's industrial operations were suspended due to lack of access inputs for production and export problems. In 2009, unemployment in Gaza was close to 40%. The private sector which generates 53% of all jobs in Gaza was devastated and businesses went bankrupt. In June 2005, 3,900 factories in Gaza employed 35,000 people, by December 2007, only 1,700 were still employed. The construction industry was paralyzed with tens of thousands of laborers out of work. The agriculture sector was hard hit, affecting nearly 40,000 workers dependent on cash crops.[9]

Gaza's

OXFAM in 2009, Gaza suffered from a serious shortage of housing, educational facilities, health facilities and infrastructure, along with an inadequate sewage system that contributed to hygiene and public health problems.[9]

Following a significant easing of the closure policy in 2010, the economy of Gaza began to see a substantial recovery from anemic levels during the height of the blockade.

Red Cross personnel. Upmarket hotels include the al-Quds and the al-Deira Hotel.[135]

Presence of

British Gas Group.[136][137] However, the project was interrupted during the 2000–2005 uprisings, where supportive infrastructure, the seaport and airport was destroyed by Israel.[136] In 2023, the work gain momentum again, until it was crashed in the ongoing war.[136][137] A large number of people used to believe that, Gaza's oil and gas reserves is the reason for Israel's offensive on the territory, also described as a potential genocidal campaign.[136][137]

Culture

Cultural centers and museums

Nehru Library and Cultural Center at Gaza's Al-Azhar University

The

Rashad al-Shawa.[138] A two-story building with a triangular plan, the cultural centers performs three main functions: a meeting place for large gatherings during annual festivals, a place to stage exhibitions, and a library.[139] The French Cultural Center is a symbol of French partnership and cooperation in Gaza. It holds art exhibits, concerts, film screenings, and other activities. Whenever possible, French artists are invited to display their artwork, and more frequently, Palestinian artists from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are invited to participate in art competitions.[140]

Established in 1998, the Arts and Crafts Village is a children's cultural center with the objectives of promoting comprehensive, regular and periodic documentation of creative art. It interacted on a large scale with a class of artists from different nationalities and organized around 100 exhibitions for creative art, ceramics, graphics, carvings and others. Nearly 10,000 children from throughout the Gaza Strip have benefited from the Arts and Crafts Village.[141]

The Gaza Theater, financed by contributions from Norway, opened in 2004.[142] The theater does not receive much funding from the PNA, depending mostly on donations from foreign aid agencies. The A. M. Qattan Foundation, a Palestinian arts charity, runs several workshops in Gaza to develop young artistic talent and impart drama skills to teachers. The Gaza Theater Festival was inaugurated in 2005.[143]

The

Gaza Museum of Archaeology opened in the summer of 2008. The museum collection features thousands of items, including a statue of a full-breasted Aphrodite in a diaphanous gown, images of other ancient deities and oil lamps featuring menorahs.[144]

Cuisine

Main article: Palestinian cuisine § Gaza

Gaza's cuisine is characterized by its generous use of spices and chillies. Other major flavors and ingredients include dill, chard, garlic, cumin, lentils, chickpeas, pomegranates, sour plums and

mulukhiya leaves and chilies).[145]

Seafood is a key aspect of Gaza life and a local staple,

fellahin ("peasants") who ate seasonal foods. Sumaghiyyeh, popular in Gaza not just on Ramadan but all year round, is a mixture of sumac, tahina and water combined with chard, chunks of beef and chickpeas. The dish is topped with crushed dill seeds, chillies and fried garlic and served in bowls.[145] Maftool is a wheat-based dish flavored with dried sour plums that is served like couscous or shaped into little balls and steamed over stew or soup.[147]

Most Gaza restaurants are located in the Rimal district. Al-Andalus, which specializes in fish and seafood, is popular with tourists, as are al-Sammak and the upscale Roots Club.[148] Atfaluna is a stylish restaurant near Gaza port run and staffed by deaf people with the goal of building a society that is more accepting of people with disabilities.[149]

Throughout the Old City there are street stalls that sell cooked beans, hummus, roasted sweet potatoes, falafel, and kebabs. Coffee houses (qahwa) serve Arabic coffee and tea. Gaza's well-known sweet shops, Saqqala and Arafat, sell common Arab sweet products and are located off Wehda Street. Alcohol is a rarity, found only in the United Nations Beach Club.[150]

Costumes and embroidery

See also:
Palestinian costumes
Chest panel from Gaza dress

Majdal. Black or blue cottons or striped pink and green fabric that had been made in Majdal continued to be woven throughout the Gaza Strip by refugees from the coastal plain villages until the 1960s. Thobs here had narrow, tight, straight sleeves. Embroidery was much less dense than that applied in Hebron. The most popular motifs included: scissors (muqass), combs (mushut) and triangles (hijab) often arranged in clusters of fives, sevens and threes, as the use of odd numbers is considered in Arab folklore to be effective against the evil eye.[151]

Circa 1990, Hamas and other Islamic movements sought to increase the use of the hijab ("headscarf") among Gazan women, especially urban and educated women, and the hijab styles since introduced have varied according to class and group identity.[152]

Sports

Gaza Strip League. They include Khidmat al-Shatia (al-Shati Camp), Ittihad al-Shuja'iyya (Shuja'iyya neighborhood), Gaza Sports Club, and al-Zeitoun (Zeitoun neighborhood).[153]

Governance

Said al-Shawa
, the first mayor of Gaza
See also: Palestinian Legislative Council and Politics of the Palestinian National Authority

Today, Gaza serves as the administrative capital of the Gaza Governorate.[154] It contains the currently defunct Palestinian Legislative Council building.

The first municipal council of Gaza was formed in 1893 under the chairmanship of Ali Khalil Shawa. Modern mayorship, however, began in 1906 with his son

Said al-Shawa, who was appointed mayor by the Ottoman authorities.[155] Al-Shawa oversaw the construction of Gaza's first hospital, several new mosques and schools, the restoration of the Great Mosque, and the introduction of the modern plow to the city.[156] In 1922, British colonial secretary Winston Churchill requested that Gaza develop its own constitution under Mandatory Palestine. However, it was rejected by the Palestinians.[157]

On July 24, 1994, the PNA proclaimed Gaza the first

violent clashes between the two parties that left over 100 dead, ultimately resulting in Hamas taking over the city.[159]

Normally, Palestinian municipalities with populations over 20,000 and that serve as administrative centers have municipal councils consisting of fifteen members, including the mayor. The current municipal council of Gaza, however, consists of fourteen members, including the installed by Hamas mayor, Nizar Hijazi.[160]

Education

Schoolgirls in Gaza lining up for class, 2009
The main conference hall of the Islamic University of Gaza

According to the PCBS, in 1997, approximately over 90% of Gaza's population over the age of 10 was literate. Of the city's population, 140,848 were enrolled in schools (39.8% in elementary school, 33.8% in secondary school, and 26.4% in high school). About 11,134 people received bachelor diplomas or higher diplomas.[161]

In 2006, there were 210 schools in Gaza; 151 were run by the

United Nations Children's Fund reported that schools in Gaza had been canceling classes that were high on energy consumption, such as information technology or science labs, and extra curricular activities.[9]

Universities

Gaza has many universities. The four main universities in the city are al-Azhar University – Gaza, al-Quds Open University, al-Aqsa University and the Islamic University of Gaza. The Islamic University, consisting of ten facilities, was founded by a group of businessmen in 1978, making it the first University in Gaza. It had an enrollment of 20,639 students.[163] Al-Azhar is generally secular and was founded in 1992. Al-Aqsa University was established in 1991. Al-Quds Open University established its Gaza Educational Region campus in 1992 in a rented building in the center of the city originally with 730 students. Because of the rapid increase of the number of students, it constructed the first university owned building in the Nasser District. In 2006–07, it had an enrollment of 3,778 students.[164]

Public library

The Public Library of Gaza is located off

Dunkerque, and the World Bank. The library's primary objectives are to provide sources of information that meets the needs of beneficiaries, provide necessary facilities for access to available information sources, and organizing various cultural programs such as, cultural events, seminars, lectures, film presentations, videos, art and book exhibitions.[165]

Landmarks

Mohammed's great-grandfather, Hashim ibn Abd Manaf
(c. 464-497), is thought to be buried.
World War I Cemetery in Gaza

Landmarks in Gaza include the Great Mosque in the Old City. Originally a pagan temple, it was consecrated a Greek Orthodox church by the Byzantines,[166] then a mosque in the 8th century by the Arabs. The Crusaders transformed it into a church, but it was reestablished as a mosque soon after Gaza's reconquest by the Muslims.[97] It is the oldest and largest in the Gaza Strip.[167]

Other mosques in the Old City include the Mamluk-era

Kateb al-Welaya Mosque that dates back to 1334. In Shuja'iyya is the Ibn Uthman Mosque, which was built by Nablus native Ahmad ibn Uthman in 1402, and the Mahkamah Mosque built by Mamluk majordomo Birdibak al-Ashrafi in 1455. In Tuffah is the Ibn Marwan Mosque,[98] which was built in 1324 and houses the tomb of Ali ibn Marwan, a holy man.[103]

The Unknown Soldier's Square, located in Rimal, is a monument dedicated to an unknown Palestinian fighter who died in the 1948 War. In 1967, the monument was torn down by Israeli forces and remained a patch of sand,[169] until a public garden was built there with funding from Norway. Qasr al-Basha, originally a Mamluk-era villa that was used by Napoleon during his brief sojourn in Gaza, is located in the Old City and is today a girls' school. The Commonwealth Gaza War Cemetery, often referred to as the British War Cemetery, contains the graves of fallen Allied soldiers in World War I; it sits 1.5 km (1 mi) northeast of the city center, in the Tuffah district, near Salah al-Din Road.[97][170]

Infrastructure

See also:
Water supply and sanitation in the Palestinian territories

Water supply and sanitation

According to the 1997 census by the

water supply while the remainder used a private system.[171] About 87.6% were connected to a public sewage system and 11.8% used a cesspit.[172] The blockade on Gaza severely restricted the city's water supply. The six main wells for drinking water did not function, and roughly 50% of the population had no water on a regular basis. The municipality claimed it was forced to pump water through "salty wells" because of the unavailability of electricity. About 20 million liters of raw sewage and 40 million liters of partially treated water per day flowed into the Mediterranean Sea, and untreated sewage bred insects and mice.[173]
As a "water-poor" country, Gaza is highly dependent on water from
Wadi Ghazza. The Gaza Aquifer is used as Gaza's main resource for obtaining quality water. However, the majority of water from Wadi Ghazza is transported to Jerusalem.[174]

Power grid

In 2002 Gaza began operating its own power plant which was built by

Israeli Defense Forces in 2006. Prior to the power plant's destruction Israel provided additional electricity to Gaza through the Israel Electric Corporation. The plant was partially rebuilt by December 2007,[176] and Israeli electricity continues to be sold to Gaza.[177]

Solid waste management

Solid waste management is one of key compelling issues facing Gazans today. These challenges are attributed to several factors; the lack of investment in environmental systems, less attention was given to environmental projects, and the absence of law enforcement and the tendency towards crisis management. One of the main aspects of this problem is the huge quantities of rubble and debris generated as a result of Israeli bombardments.[178][179]

For instance, the scale of damage resulting from the

Operation Protective Edge is unprecedented. All governorates in the Gaza Strip witnessed extensive aerial bombardment, naval shelling and artillery fire, resulting in a considerable amount of rubble. According to recent statistics, more than 2 million tonnes of debris was generated. Approximately 10,000 houses were leveled to the ground including two 13-story residential buildings. A tremendous amount of debris remains scattered in Gaza. Serious efforts and a high budget are required to handle this challenge. More importantly, and based on a UNEP study after the 2008 war, the debris is highly likely to be contaminated with PAHs and probably with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and furan compounds.[180] In January 2024, the Israeli army destroyed Gaza City’s main reservoirs, Al-Balad and Al-Rimal.[181]

Health care

Al-Quds hospital
, Gaza City, following Israeli shelling in 2009

1956 Suez Crisis, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser had al-Shifa hospital expanded and improved. He also ordered the establishment of a second hospital in the Nasser District with the same name. In 1957, the quarantine and febrile disease hospital was rebuilt and named Nasser Hospital.[104] Today, al-Shifa remains Gaza's largest medical complex.[183]

Throughout the late 1950s, a new health administration, Bandar Gaza ("Gaza Region"), was established and headed by Haidar Abdel-Shafi. Bandar Gaza rented several rooms throughout the city to set up government clinics that provided essential curative care.[104]

Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City during the Gaza war on 11 October 2023

The Ahli Arab Hospital, founded in 1907 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS), was destroyed in World War I.[184] It was rebuilt after the war by the CMS, and in 1955 became the Southern Baptist Hospital.[185][186] In 1982, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem took leadership and the original name was restored.[184] Al-Quds Hospital, located in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood and managed by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, is the second largest hospital in Gaza.[187]

In 2007, hospitals experienced power cuts lasting for 8–12 hours daily and diesel required for power generators was in short supply. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the proportion of patients given permits to exit Gaza for medical care decreased from 89.3% in January 2007 to 64.3% in December 2007.[9]

In 2010, a team of doctors from Al-Durrah Hospital in Gaza spent a year of training at the cystic fibrosis clinic at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. Upon their return to Gaza, a cystic fibrosis center was established at Al-Durrah, although the most serious cases are referred to Hadassah.[188]

Al-Rantisi Hospital provides care for children.

Transportation

Ruins of Yasser Arafat International Airport in the southern Gaza Strip, 2002

The Rasheed Coastal Road runs along Gaza's coastline and connects it with the rest of Gaza Strip's coastline north and south. The main highway of the Gaza Strip,

Rafah Crossing
.

Omar Mukhtar Street is the main road in the city running north–south, branching off Salah ad-Din Street, stretching from the Rimal coastline and the Old City where it ends at the Gold Market.[97] Prior to the Blockade of the Gaza Strip, there existed regular lines of collective taxis to Ramallah and Hebron in the West Bank.[190] Except for private cars, Gaza City is served by taxis and buses.

The

Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel is located roughly 75 kilometres (47 mi) northeast of the city.[190]

International relations

See also:
List of twin towns and sister cities in the Palestinian Territories

Twin towns and sister cities

Gaza is

twinned
with:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ On 30 December 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported, "According to analysis of satellite data by remote-sensing experts at the City University of New York and Oregon State University, as many as 80% of the buildings in northern Gaza, where the bombing has been most severe, are damaged or destroyed."[1]
  2. Arabic: غَزَّة, romanized: Ġazzah, IPA: [ˈɣazza] ⓘ; Palestinian Arabic
    : Ġazzeh, IPA: [ˈɣæ.zɜ]

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Bibliography

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