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Gaza Strip
Map of the Gaza Strip
Map of the Gaza Strip
FeaturePivotal role in Palestinian geopolitics
CountryPalestine
Area360
Total population2300000
LanguageArabic
RaceArab
ReligionsIslam
ReligionSunni
Muslim population98% Muslim Population
Historical Information
Important eventsOperation Al-Aqsa Storm
Places
MosquesHashim b. 'Abd Manaf Mosque


Gaza Strip or Qiṭāʿ Ghazza (Arabic: قِطَاعُ غَزَّة) is a territory in Palestine predominantly inhabited by Muslims, which came under the control of Hamas in 2005. In 2007, Hamas moved to establish administrative independence from the central Palestinian government, a maneuver that prompted a severe reaction from the Israeli regime. In response, Israel imposed a comprehensive blockade on Gaza and initiated plans for military operations against the territory.

The population of the Gaza Strip exceeds two million, with more than 98 percent identifying as Sunni Arab.

Location and Significance

The Gaza Strip is situated north of Egypt and west of Palestine,[1] with a population that is 98 percent Muslim. Christians constitute approximately one percent of the region's inhabitants. The dominant religious denomination in the area is Sunni Islam.[2]

Tradition holds that Hashim b. 'Abd Manaf, the great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (s), is buried in Gaza. As a result, the city was historically called "Ghazzat al-Hashim" (Gaza of Hashim).[3] A shrine attributed to Hashim exists in the city. However, it has reportedly faced repeated threats of destruction by Wahhabis.[4] Additionally, according to Yaqut al-Hamawi, Muhammad b. Idris al-Shafi'i, the eponymous founder of one of the Four Sunnis Schools, was born in Gaza.[5]

During the Early Islam era, the Gaza region served as a vital trade hub for the people of Mecca and Medina.[6] Hamas, one of the largest resistance factions in Palestine, was founded in Gaza before expanding its influence to other Palestinian territories.[7] The city occupies a central position in the broader landscape of Palestinian political developments.[8]

Israel has constructed a barrier wall separating the Gaza Strip from the occupied Palestinian territories, effectively delineating the border between Gaza and Zionist settlements.[9] The region encompasses the cities of Gaza, Jabalia, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Beit Hanoun, and Deir al-Balah.

The prolonged siege, recurrent military offensives, and civilian casualties inflicted by Israel in Gaza have drawn widespread condemnation from the Islamic World, particularly from Shi'a scholars. Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has issued multiple messages condemning the atrocities committed in the region.[10] In Iran, January 19 has been designated as Gaza Day.[11]

Destruction of Gaza buildings during Israeli attacks (2023)

History

Arab governance of Gaza dates back to the pre-Islamic era. Historical accounts indicate that during the reign of Herod the Great (ruler of Judea or Jerusalem), the region was governed by an Arab ruler; likewise, at the advent of Islam, the region remained under Arab dominance.[12] Under the Ottoman Empire, the region witnessed conflicts between British forces and Ottoman Turks. In 1948, following regional hostilities,[13] Gaza was occupied by the Egyptian Army.[14] Subsequently, the Israeli regime has launched numerous attacks on the area.[15]

In 1967, the region fell under Israeli control. However, in 2005, following the Israeli withdrawal, control was transferred to Palestinian forces.[16] That same year, Hamas entered the political arena by winning elections in Palestine. Later, in 2007, following a conflict with Fatah forces led by Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas defeated the Fatah movement[17] and assumed administration of the Gaza Strip as a territory distinct from the rest of Palestine.[18]

Resistance against Israeli Occupation

After Hamas assumed control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the region was subjected to a blockade by the Israeli regime. Israeli authorities have repeatedly restricted the flow of fuel, food, and medicine by closing border crossings.[19] Since 2007, all movement into and out of Gaza has been subject to inspection, and naval access to the Gaza coast has been prohibited by the Israeli regime. The region's airport, inaugurated in 1994, was destroyed by the Israeli army in 2001.[20]

Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran:

Suddenly we saw that a virus is reproducing; they constantly go to some of the great figures, some of the scholars, some of the respected ones, saying, 'Sir! Who are you helping? The people of Gaza are Nasibi! Nasibi means the enemy of the Ahl al-Bayt...' We said, 'God forbid, God's curse be upon the vicious outcast Satan.' In Gaza, there is the Mosque of Imam Amir al-Mu'minin Ali b. Abi Talib (a); there is the Mosque of Imam al-Husayn (a); how are they Nasibi?! Yes, they are Sunni, but Nasibi?![21]

Israeli Attacks on Infrastructure and Killing of Civilians in Gaza in 2023

Main article: Operation Al-Aqsa Storm

In October 2023, Operation Al-Aqsa Storm was launched by Hamas forces stationed in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli regime, targeting the occupied territories in an effort to liberate Palestine and confront Israeli occupation.[22] In retaliation, Israel struck residential and military zones within the Gaza Strip. Israel's measures during the confrontation with Hamas forces have included cutting off water and electricity supplies, bombing residential areas, killing civilians (including women and children), targeting medical staff and hospitals—such as the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital—and employing prohibited weaponry.[23]

According to Al Jazeera, citing Palestinian media, as of December 10, 2023, 17,997 people had been killed and 49,229 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza; the majority of casualties were women and children. Furthermore, during this period, the Israeli military dropped more than 52 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip, destroying over 305,000 housing units and displacing more than 1,500,000 people.[24]

In the Israeli attack on the Al-Ahli Hospital alone, which was sheltering numerous Palestinian wounded and displaced persons, more than 500 civilians were killed.[25]

International Reactions

The killing of civilians—particularly women and children—the use of prohibited weapons, the bombing of medical centers, and attacks on relief personnel by the Israeli regime have provoked strong reactions from the public and governments worldwide against the Israeli regime and its supporters, including the United States.

Israeli Attacks on Gaza

Throughout its history, Gaza has been the target of numerous Israeli military offensives.

Table of Israeli Operations against Gaza
No. Operation Name Duration Casualties (Gaza Residents) Details
Start End Killed Wounded
1 Cast Lead[26] December 27, 2008[27] January 17, 2009[28] 1,419[29] 5,500[30] During this 22-day conflict, Israel initially bombarded Gaza from the air before launching a ground invasion. The war concluded with a unilateral ceasefire declared by Israel.[31]
2 Returning Echo March 9, 2012[32] March 14, 2012[33] 23 74 This conflict ended with the declaration of a ceasefire.[34]
3 Pillar of Defense[35] November 12, 2012[36] November 21, 2012[37] 105[38] 971[39] Hostilities ceased following a mutual ceasefire agreement.[40]
4 Protective Edge (51-Day War) July 8, 2014[41] August 26, 2014[42] 2,100[43] 10,196[44] Following the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas operatives, Israel launched a comprehensive offensive on Gaza that lasted 51 days.[45]
5 March 2018[46] 170[47] Demonstrations by Gaza residents along the Israeli border were met with direct fire from Israeli soldiers.[48]
6 November 11, 2018[49] November 13, 2018[50] 3[51] 53[52] An Israeli incursion into Gaza territory provoked a response from Palestinian forces, resulting in the deaths of several Israeli soldiers. The conflict escalated into Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket fire before ending after two days through Egyptian mediation.[53]
7 May 11, 2021[54] May 22, 2021[55] 248[56] 1,900[57] Following Hamas rocket fire in response to the expulsion of Muslims from the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel, the Israeli military engaged Hamas with airstrikes on Gaza. The conflict persisted for 11 days.[58]
8 August 5, 2022[59] August 7, 2022[60] 44[61] 350[62] The assassination of a Hamas commander by Israel triggered a three-day conflict. In response to the assassination, Hamas launched 1,000 rockets toward Israel.[63]
9 Iron Swords[64] October 7, 2023[65] Ongoing 17,997 [66] 49,229 [67] Hamas forces launched a surprise ground and rocket assault on Israeli areas. In the aftermath, Israel commenced a major military operation against Gaza.[68]

Demographics and Culture

Based on statistics published in 2022, the population of the Gaza Strip exceeded 2.3 million, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world given its small geographic footprint.[69] The primary language of the region is Arabic, with English and Hebrew also occasionally spoken.[70] Eighty percent of the Gaza population is classified as economically impoverished.[71]

The Gaza Strip covers an area of more than 360 square kilometers.[72] It spans 41 kilometers in length, with a width varying between 6 and 12 kilometers.[73]

  • Ali b. Abi Talib (a) Mosque, located in the Zaytun neighborhood of southern Gaza City, prior to its destruction by Israel
    Ali b. Abi Talib (a) Mosque, located in the Zaytun neighborhood of southern Gaza City, prior to its destruction by Israel
  • A view of destroyed residential buildings in Gaza (2023)
    A view of destroyed residential buildings in Gaza (2023)
  • The ruins of the Ali b. Abi Talib Mosque in Gaza following Israeli attacks in 2023
    The ruins of the Ali b. Abi Talib Mosque in Gaza following Israeli attacks in 2023
  • The Mosque and Shrine of Hashim b. 'Abd Manaf in Gaza
    The Mosque and Shrine of Hashim b. 'Abd Manaf in Gaza

Notes

  1. ↑ al-Ḥamawī, Muʿjam al-buldān, 1995, vol. 4, p. 202.
  2. ↑ Where is Gaza, and what is daily life like for civilians there?, Insaf News.
  3. ↑ al-Ḥamawī, Muʿjam al-buldān, 1995, vol. 4, p. 202.
  4. ↑ Sanad, ʿImārat qubūr al-Nabī wa Ahl Baytihi (ṣ) mashʿar ilāhī, vol. 1, p. 194.
  5. ↑ al-Ḥamawī, Muʿjam al-buldān, 1995, vol. 4, p. 202.
  6. ↑ ʿAlī, al-Mufaṣṣal fī tārīkh al-ʿArab qabl al-Islām, vol. 4, p. 305.
  7. ↑ al-Nadwa al-ʿĀlamiyya li-l-Shabāb al-Islāmī, al-Mawsūʿa al-muyassara fī l-adyān wa l-madhāhib wa l-aḥzāb al-muʿāṣira, vol. 1, p. 236.
  8. ↑ Mūsawī, Jināyat-i Ghazza, ʿawāmil wa rīsha-hā, p. 86.
  9. ↑ The tenth day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, al-Alam TV.
  10. ↑ Mūsawī, Jināyat-i Ghazza, ʿawāmil wa rīsha-hā, p. 86.
  11. ↑ Gaza Day, Hawzah News Agency.
  12. ↑ ʿAlī, al-Mufaṣṣal fī tārīkh al-ʿArab qabl al-Islām, vol. 2, p. 275.
  13. ↑ Majmūʿa min al-ʿUlamāʾ wa l-Bāḥithīn, al-Mawsūʿa al-ʿArabiyya al-muyassara, 2009, vol. 1, p. 2330.
  14. ↑ Mūsawī, Jināyat-i Ghazza, ʿawāmil wa rīsha-hā, p. 86.
  15. ↑ Majmūʿa min al-ʿUlamāʾ wa l-Bāḥithīn, al-Mawsūʿa al-ʿArabiyya al-muyassara, 2009, vol. 1, p. 2330.
  16. ↑ Mūsawī, Jināyat-i Ghazza, ʿawāmil wa rīsha-hā, p. 86.
  17. ↑ Fatah, fully known as the "Palestinian National Liberation Movement," is a prominent Palestinian political and military organization founded in 1959 by "Yasser Arafat" (d. 2004) and "Khalil al-Wazir" (Abu Jihad) (d. 1988). Its objective is the liberation of Palestine from the domination of the occupying regime of Israel through guerrilla struggle. (Source: Kayhan)
  18. ↑ Who is the Islamist group Hamas?, BBC Persian.
  19. ↑ Mūsawī, Jināyat-i Ghazza, ʿawāmil wa rīsha-hā, p. 86.
  20. ↑ Where is Gaza, and what is daily life like for civilians there?, Ensaf News.
  21. ↑ The Leader of the Revolution's Response to the Doubt About the Palestinian People Being Nāṣibī, Office of Ayatollah Khamenei.
  22. ↑ The tenth day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, al-Alam TV.
  23. ↑ The tenth day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, al-Alam TV.
  24. ↑ Israel has destroyed more than 305,000 homes in Gaza, Aljazeera.net.
  25. ↑ The twelfth day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, al-Alam TV.
  26. ↑ The eighth anniversary of "Operation Cast Lead" against Gaza; 83% of the casualties were civilians., Fars News Agency.
  27. ↑ The eighth anniversary of "Operation Cast Lead" against Gaza; 83% of the casualties were civilians., Fars News Agency.
  28. ↑ The eighth anniversary of "Operation Cast Lead" against Gaza; 83% of the casualties were civilians., Fars News Agency.
  29. ↑ The eighth anniversary of "Operation Cast Lead" against Gaza; 83% of the casualties were civilians., Fars News Agency.
  30. ↑ The eighth anniversary of "Operation Cast Lead" against Gaza; 83% of the casualties were civilians., Fars News Agency.
  31. ↑ The eighth anniversary of "Operation Cast Lead" against Gaza; 83% of the casualties were civilians., Fars News Agency.
  32. ↑ Israel and the Palestinians established a ceasefire in Gaza., BBC News Agency.
  33. ↑ Israel and the Palestinians established a ceasefire in Gaza., BBC News Agency.
  34. ↑ Israel and the Palestinians established a ceasefire in Gaza., BBC News Agency.
  35. ↑ How the resistance began, its goals, and its achievements in 3 wars against Gaza., Fars News Agency.
  36. ↑ How the resistance began, its goals, and its achievements in 3 wars against Gaza., Fars News Agency.
  37. ↑ How the resistance began, its goals, and its achievements in 3 wars against Gaza., Fars News Agency.
  38. ↑ The total numbers of victims of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, pchrgaza.
  39. ↑ The total numbers of victims of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, pchrgaza.
  40. ↑ The nature of its beginning, the objectives, and the achievements of the resistance in 3 wars against Gaza, Fars News Agency.
  41. ↑ ʿArīḍī Maybudī, The 2014 war and Israel's retreat, p. 52.
  42. ↑ ʿArīḍī Maybudī, The 2014 war and Israel's retreat, p. 53.
  43. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza., Radio Farda.
  44. ↑ Gaza death toll rises to 1959, dailysabah.
  45. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza., Radio Farda.
  46. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza, Radio Farda.
  47. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza, Radio Farda.
  48. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza, Radio Farda.
  49. ↑ Israel-Gaza violence erupts after covert op killings, bbc.
  50. ↑ Israel-Gaza violence erupts after covert op killings, bbc.
  51. ↑ Israel-Gaza violence erupts after covert op killings, bbc.
  52. ↑ Israel-Gaza violence erupts after covert op killings, bbc.
  53. ↑ Israel-Gaza violence erupts after covert op killings, bbc.
  54. ↑ Gaza attacks: Fear, finality, and farewells as bombs rained down, aljazeera.
  55. ↑ Gaza attacks: Fear, finality, and farewells as bombs rained down, aljazeera.
  56. ↑ Gaza attacks: Fear, finality, and farewells as bombs rained down, aljazeera.
  57. ↑ Gaza attacks: Fear, finality, and farewells as bombs rained down, aljazeera.
  58. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza., Radio Farda.
  59. ↑ Israel-Gaza: Palestinian girl dies from wounds sustained in bombing, middleeasteye.
  60. ↑ Israel-Gaza: Palestinian girl dies from wounds sustained in bombing, middleeasteye.
  61. ↑ Israel-Gaza: Palestinian girl dies from wounds sustained in bombing, middleeasteye.
  62. ↑ Israel-Gaza: Palestinian girl dies from wounds sustained in bombing, middleeasteye.
  63. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza, Radio Farda.
  64. ↑ IDF strikes Hamas as operation 'Iron Swords' commences, jpost.
  65. ↑ IDF strikes Hamas as operation 'Iron Swords' commences, jpost.
  66. ↑ Israel has destroyed more than 305,000 homes in Gaza
  67. ↑ Israel has destroyed more than 305,000 homes in Gaza
  68. ↑ An Overview of Nearly Two Decades of Israeli-Hamas Negotiations Since Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza, Radio Farda.
  69. ↑ Where is Gaza, and what is daily life like for civilians there?, Insaf News.
  70. ↑ Where is Gaza, and what is daily life like for civilians there?, Insaf News.
  71. ↑ Mūsawī, Jināyat-i Ghazza, ʿawāmil wa rīsha-hā, p. 86.
  72. ↑ Mūsawī, Jināyat-i Ghazza, ʿawāmil wa rīsha-hā, p. 86.
  73. ↑ General Information About the Gaza Strip.

References

  • ʿArīḍī Maybudī, Sayyid Murtaḍā. "Jang-i 2014 wa Bāzdārandagī-yi Isrāʾīl." Faṣlnāma-yi Muṭāliʿāt-i Jang, no. 11, 2021.
  • ʿAlī. Al-Mufaṣṣal fī tārīkh al-ʿArab qabla al-Islām. Beirut: Dār al-Sāqī, 1422 AH.
  • Al-Nadwa al-ʿĀlamiyya li-l-Shabāb al-Islāmī. Al-Mawsūʿa al-Muyassara fī al-Adyān wa al-Madhāhib wa al-Aḥzāb al-Muʿāṣira. Beirut: Dār al-Nadwa al-ʿĀlamiyya li-l-Ṭibāʿa wa al-Nashr wa al-Tawzīʿ, 1420 AH.
  • Ḥamawī, Yāqūt b. ʿAbd Allāh. Muʿjam al-buldān. Beirut: Dār Ṣādir, 2nd ed., 1995.
  • Majmūʿa min al-ʿUlamāʾ wa al-Bāḥithīn. Al-Mawsūʿa al-ʿArabiyya al-Muyassara. Beirut: Sharikat Abnāʾ Sharīf al-Anṣārī, 2009.
  • Mūsawī, Sayyid Ṣamad. "Janāyat-i Ghazza, ʿAwāmil wa Rīsha-hā." Majalla-yi Muballighān, no. 112, January–February 2009.
  • Sand, Muḥammad. ʿImārat qubūr al-Nabī wa ahl baytihi (s) mashʿar ilāhī. Edited by Ibrāhīm Ḥusayn Baghdādī. Beirut: al-Amīra, 1431 AH.
  • "The Leader of the Revolution's Response to the Doubt About the Palestinian People Being Nāṣibī", The Office of Preservation and Publication of the Works of Grand Ayatollah Khamene'i (Persian). Published: 14 May 2009, Accessed: 5 November 2023.
  • "The Tenth Day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", Al-Alam News Network (Persian). Published: 16 October 2023, Accessed: 16 October 2023.
  • "Gaza Day", Hawzah News Agency (Persian). Published: 15 January 2017, Accessed: 22 October 2023.
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