Gaza Strip

The Gaza Strip is a small boot-shaped territory along the Mediterranean coast between Egypt and Israel. Israel occupied the strip after 1967, but relinquished control of Gaza City and day-to-day administration in most of the territory during the Oslo peace process. In 2005, Israel unilaterally removed Jewish settlements from the territory, though it continues to control international access to it.

Gaza Strip – Background

• UN General Assembly had favored the partition of Palestine region into an Arab State and a Jewish state.
• Under that resolution, UN General Assembly had said that  it will be given to Arab State.
• After Israel became an independent nation (1948), the Arabs from Tel-Aviv and other parts of Israel/Palestine region, had started migrating to this place, to save themselves from riots and looting.
• These are called Palestinian (Arab) refugees.
• During the first Israel-Arab war, the Egyptian army had captured Gaza strip. But In 1967’s war, Israel re-captured Gaza Strip.
• But The Egyptian government did not consider as a part of Egypt and did not allow those refugees to become Egyptian citizens or to migrate to Egypt or to other Arab countries. (their side of border was opened in 2011)
• On the other side, Israel did not allow these refugees to return to their former homes.
• So these refugees are stuck from both the sides, live in poverty and food aids from United Nations.
• Ever since, there is rioting and violent street clashes between Gaza’s Palestinians (refugees/Hamas) and occupying Israeli troops.

 

Read Notes by UPSC Topper Ravisankar Sarma