View source for Gaza City

{{Short description|City in Palestine}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Coord|31|30|27|N|34|27|35|E|region:PS|display=title}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Gaza City
| native_name        = {{lang|ar|مدينة غَزَّة}}
| translit_lang1     = Arabic
| translit_lang1_type = Latin (official)
| translit_lang1_info = Ghazzah
| translit_lang1_type1 = Latin ([[DIN 31635]])
| translit_lang1_info1 = Ġazzah
| other_name         = Gaza
| type               = [[List of cities administered by the Palestinian Authority|Municipality type A (City)]]
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
 |perrow             = 1/2/2/1
 |border             = infobox
 |total_width        = 280
 |image1             = Images of war 23-25 from Gaza, by Jaber Badwen, IMG 6315.jpg
 |caption1           = [[Omar Mukhtar Street]] in February 2025
 |image2             = Omari Mosque in Gaza City.jpg
 |caption2           = [[Great Mosque of Gaza]]
 |image3             = Tolerance - panoramio.jpg
 |caption3           = [[Church of Saint Porphyrius]]
 |image4             = قصر الباشا في غزة.jpg
 |caption4           = [[Qasr al-Basha]]
 |image5             = ساحة مسجد السيد هاشم.jpg
 |caption5           = [[Sayed al-Hashim Mosque]]
 |image6             = Ucas20.jpg
 |caption6           = [[Rimal]] before the [[Gaza war]]{{efn|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."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Malsin |first1=Jared |last2=Shah |first2=Saeed |title=The Ruined Landscape of Gaza After Nearly Three Months of Bombing |url=https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/gaza-destruction-bombing-israel-aa528542# |newspaper=WSJ |access-date=31 January 2024 }}</ref>}}
 |image7             = Damage in Gaza Strip during the October 2023 - 28.jpg
 |caption7           = Rimal in October 2023
 }}
| image_blank_emblem = Gaza coat.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Coat of arms of Gaza City
| pushpin_map        = Palestine Gaza Strip#Palestine
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Gaza within [[Palestine]]
| image_map          = 
| map_caption        = 
| mapframe           = yes
| coordinates        = 
| grid_name          = [[Palestine grid|Palestine&nbsp;grid]]
| grid_position      = 
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Palestine}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Governorates of Palestine|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Gaza Governorate|Gaza]]
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 15th century BC
| government_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| government_type    = [[List of cities administered by the Palestinian Authority|City]] (from 1994<ref name="PASSIA" />)
| leader_title1      = [[Mayor of Gaza City|Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = [[Yahya Al-Sarraj]]
| unit_pref          = dunam
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="GazaMunicipality" />
| area_total_km2     = 45
| area_total_dunam   = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_min_m    = 
| elevation_max_m    = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name="pop2017">{{cite web |url=http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Downloads/book2364-1.pdf |title=Main Indicators by Type of Locality - Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017 |access-date=19 January 2021 |publisher=[[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS) |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128121306/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Downloads/book2364-1.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| population_total   = 590,481
| population_as_of   = 2017 Census
| population_est     = 220,000<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fabian |first=Emanuel |date=27 September 2025 |title=IDF says 780,000 have fled Gaza City; Hamas says dozens killed in unrelenting strikes |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-780000-have-fled-gaza-city-hamas-says-dozens-killed-in-unrelenting-strikes/ |access-date=28 September 2025 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en |quote=Around 780,000 Palestinians have so far evacuated Gaza City to the Strip’s south, the Israel Defense Forces said Saturday [...] Around one million Palestinians were estimated to be residing in Gaza City before the IDF launched the major offensive earlier this month. }}</ref>
| pop_est_as_of      = 2025
| population_note    = 
| population_density_km2 = auto
| blank_name_sec1    = 
| blank_info_sec1    = 
| website            = [https://www.mogaza.org/ mogaza.org]
}}

'''Gaza City''', often simply called '''Gaza''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|g|ɑː|z|ə|audio=Gaza pronunciation.mp3}} {{respell|GAH|zə}};<ref name="OED-Gaza Strip">''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1998), {{ISBN|0-19-861263-X}}, p. 761 "'''Gaza Strip''' /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory in Palestine, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza...".</ref> {{langx|ar|غَزَّة|Ġazzah}}, {{IPA|ar|ˈɣazza|IPA|audio=Ar-Gaza.oga}}; [[Palestinian Arabic]]: ''Ġazzeh'', IPA: [ˈɣæ.zɜ]}} is a city in the [[Gaza Strip]], Palestine, and the capital of the [[Gaza Governorate]]. Located on the Mediterranean coast, {{Convert|76.6|km|mi}} southwest of [[Jerusalem]], it was home to [[Port of Gaza|Palestine's only port]]. With a population of 590,481 people as of 2017,<ref name="pop2017" /> Gaza City was the most populous city in [[Palestine]] until the [[Gaza war]] caused most of the population to be displaced.

Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,<ref name = DicHistPl>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Gaza (Gaza Strip) |encyclopedia=International Dictionary of Historic Places |volume=4 |pages=87–290 |publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers |year=1996 }}</ref> Gaza City has been dominated by different peoples and empires throughout its history. The [[Philistines]] made it a part of their [[Philistia|pentapolis]] after the [[ancient Egypt]]ians had ruled it for nearly 350 years. Under the [[Roman Empire]], Gaza City experienced relative peace and its [[Port of Gaza|Mediterranean port]] flourished. In 635 AD, it became the first city in the [[Palestine (region)|Palestine region]] to be conquered by the [[Rashidun army]] and quickly developed into a centre of [[Fiqh|Islamic law]]. However, by the time the [[Crusader states]] were established in 1099, Gaza City was in ruins. In later centuries, Gaza City experienced several hardships—from [[Mongol raids into Palestine|Mongol raids]] to severe flooding and [[locust swarm]]s, 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 City and the city went through an age of great commerce and peace. The municipality of Gaza City was established in 1893.

Gaza City fell to British forces during [[World War I]], becoming a [[Gaza Subdistrict, Mandatory Palestine|part]] of [[Mandatory Palestine]]. As a result of the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]], Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip territory and several improvements were undertaken in the city. Its population rose sharply after the influx of [[Palestinian refugees]] displaced by the war and the ensuing [[Nakba]]. Gaza City was [[Israeli occupied territories|occupied]] by [[Israel]] in the [[Six-Day War]] in 1967, and in 1993, the city was transferred to the newly created [[Palestinian National Authority]]. In the months following the 2006 election, an [[Fatah-Hamas conflict|armed conflict]] broke out between the Palestinian political factions of [[Fatah]] and [[Hamas]], resulting in the latter [[Battle of Gaza (2007)|taking power in Gaza]]. The Gaza Strip was then subject to an Israeli-led, Egyptian-supported [[Blockade of the Gaza Strip|blockade]].<ref name="IBRAHIM BARZAK 07/ 5/11 08:34 AM ET" /> Israel eased the blockade allowing consumer goods in June 2010, and Egypt reopened the [[Rafah Border Crossing]] in 2011 to pedestrians.<ref name="IBRAHIM BARZAK 07/ 5/11 08:34 AM ET">[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/05/gaza-economy-benefits-fro_n_890181.html Gaza Benefiting From Israel Easing Economic Blockade]</ref><ref name="IBRAHIM BARZAK 06/21/11 08:13 AM ET">[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/21/gaza-border-opening-bring_n_881127.html Gaza Border Opening Brings Little Relief]</ref> The city has been largely destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since the Gaza war began in October 2023, including a [[Destruction of cultural heritage during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip|large amount of significant cultural heritage]] in the [[Old City of Gaza]].

The primary economic activities of Gaza City are small-scale industries and agriculture. However, the blockade and recurring conflicts have put the economy under severe pressure.<ref name="Oxfam" /> The majority of Gaza City's Palestinian inhabitants are [[Muslim]], although there is also a [[Palestinian Christians|Christian minority]]. Gaza City has a very young population, with roughly 75% under the age of 25. As of {{currentmonth}} {{currentyear}}, many 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0 |title=Gaza has become a moonscape in war. When the battles stop, many fear it will remain uninhabitable |date=23 November 2023 |access-date=27 November 2023 |work=AP }}</ref>

==Etymology==
The name ''Gaza'' first appears in the military records of [[Thutmose III]] of [[New Kingdom of Egypt]] in the 15th century BC,<ref>{{cite journal |author=H. Jacob Katzenstein |title=Gaza in the Egyptian Texts of the New Kingdom |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=102 |issue=1 |year=1982 |pages=111–113 |doi=10.2307/601117 |jstor=601117 |issn=0003-0279 }}</ref> and was mentioned in the [[Amarna correspondence]] as {{Transliteration|akk|Āl Ḫazzati|lit=city of Gaza⁠}} and other variant spellings.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rainey |first=Anson F. |title=The El-Amarna Correspondence |location=Leiden |publisher=Brill |volume=1 |year=2015 |pages=1120–1121 |isbn=978-90-04-28147-9 }}</ref> In [[Neo-Assyrian]] sources, reflecting the late [[Philistine]] period, it was known as ''Ḫāzat''.<ref>Seymour Gitin, 'Philistines in the Book of Kings,' in [[André Lemaire]], Baruch Halpern, Matthew Joel Adams (eds.)[https://books.google.com/books?id=1SXbIFYu-ZAC&pg=PA312 ''The Books of Kings: Sources, Composition, Historiography and Reception,''] BRILL, 2010 pp.301–363, for the Neo-Assyrian sources p.312: The four city-states of the late Philistine period (Iron Age II) are ''Amqarrūna'' ([[Ekron]]), ''Asdūdu'' ([[Ashdod]]), ''Hāzat'' (Gaza), and ''Isqalūna'' ([[Ascalon]]), with the former fifth capital, [[Gath (city)|Gath]], having been abandoned at this late phase.</ref> It is clear that the name originates from none of these languages, however.

Based on the city's [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] name, {{lang|he|עַזָּה}} {{Transliteration|he|ʻAzzā}}, a common [[false etymology|folk etymology]] insists the name stems from the [[Semitic root]] {{Script/Hebrew|ע-ז-ז}} ''[[ʻayin]]''-''[[zayin]]''-''zayin'', from which words related to strength and fierceness are derived,<ref name="Masalha">{{cite book |last1=Masalha |first1=Nur |author-link1=Nur Masalha |title=Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History |date=2018 |publisher=Zed Books Ltd. |isbn=9781786992758 |page=81 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cb2rDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT81 }}</ref> but this is unlikely. The {{Script/Hebrew|ע}} in the root {{Script/Hebrew|ע-ז-ז}} corresponds to a [[Proto-Semitic]] *''ʻ'' sound (compare Hebrew {{lang|he|עַז}} {{Transliteration|he|ʻaz}} with [[Arabic]] {{lang|ar|عَزَّ}} {{Transliteration|he|ʻazza}}, both meaning "to be strong, powerful, mighty"), while it is clear from city's name in Arabic ({{lang|ar|غَزَّة}}, {{Transliteration|ar|Ġazza}}), [[Koine Greek]] ({{lang|grc|Γάζα}}, {{Transliteration|grc|Gáza}}), and [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] ({{Transliteration|egy|gꜣḏꜣtw}}) that the name of Gaza was likely originally pronounced with an initial *''ġ'' ({{IPAslink|ʁ}}) sound, and thus cannot have been from the same {{Script/Hebrew|ע-ז-ז}} root as {{lang|he|עַז}} {{Transliteration|he|ʻaz}}.

Historically, Muslims often referred to the city as ''Ġazzat Hāšim'' in honor of [[Hashim ibn Abd Manaf]], the great-grandfather of [[Muhammad]] who, according to [[Islamic mythology|Islamic tradition]], is buried in the city.<ref name=Shahinp414>Shahin, 2005, p. 414.</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|History of Gaza|l1=History of Gaza City}}
Gaza's history of habitation dates back 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.<ref name=Dumper>Dumper et al., 2007, p. 155.</ref> Located on the [[Via Maris|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]].<ref name=Dumper /><ref name = BBC>{{cite news |author=Alan Johnston |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4365440.stm |title=Gaza's ancient history uncovered |work=BBC News |access-date=16 February 2009 |date=22 October 2005 }}</ref>

===Early Bronze===
Settlement in the region of Gaza dates back to the [[ancient Egyptian]] fortress built in [[Canaan]]ite territory at [[Tell es-Sakan]], to the south of present-day Gaza. The site was inhabited until about 3000 BC. In about 2600 BC, the settlement was re-founded and this time inhabited by the Canaanites. Tell es-Sakan was abandoned again about 2300 BC.<ref>de Miroschedji & Sadeq 2008</ref>

===Middle Bronze===
Another urban center known as [[Tell el-Ajjul]] began to grow along the Wadi Ghazza riverbed.<ref name="Filfil">{{cite web |url=http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=2564&ed=157&edid=157 |title=The Other Face of Gaza: The Gaza Continuum |first1=Rania |last1=Filfil |first2=Barbara |last2=Louton |work=This Week in Palestine |date=September 2008 |access-date=30 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207121431/http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=2564&ed=157&edid=157 |archive-date=7 February 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Late Bronze===
During the reign of Thutmose III (r. 1479–1425 BC), the city became a stop on the [[King's Highway (ancient)|King's Highway]], a crucial [[trade route]] of the [[Levant]], and was mentioned in the 14th-century Amarna letters as ''Azzatu''.<ref name="STF-J"/> Gaza later served as Egypt's administrative capital in [[Canaan]].<ref>Michael G. Hasel (1998) Domination and Resistance: Egyptian Military Activity in the Southern Levant, Ca. 1300–1185 B.C. BRILL, {{ISBN|90-04-10984-6}} p 258</ref> Gaza remained under Egyptian control for 350 years until it was conquered by the [[Philistine]]s in the 12th century BC.<ref name="STF-J">{{cite web |url=http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/mad/discussion/123discuss.html |title=Gaza – (Gaza, al -'Azzah) |date=19 December 2000 |publisher=Studium Biblicum Franciscanum&nbsp;– Jerusalem |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728115614/http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/mad/discussion/123discuss.html |archive-date=28 July 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Iron Age===
In the 12th century BC Gaza became part of the [[Philistia|Philistine "pentapolis"]].<ref name="STF-J"/> Gaza achieved relative independence and prosperity under the [[Persian Empire]].{{cn|date=August 2025}}

===Hellenistic period ===

[[Siege of Gaza (332 BC)|Alexander the Great besieged Gaza]], the last city to resist his conquest on his path to Egypt, for five months before capturing it 332 BC;<ref name="STF-J"/> 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]]").
[[File:The Battle of Gaza 312 BCE.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Gaza (312 BC)|Battle of Gaza]] in 312 BC]]
Under the [[Seleucid Empire]], [[Seleucus I Nicator]] or one of his successors renamed Gaza as ''Seleucia'' to control the surrounding area against the Ptolemies.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} [[Greek culture]] consequently took root and Gaza earned a reputation as a flourishing center of [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]] learning and philosophy.<ref name="Ring and Salkin">Ring and Salkin, 1994, p.287.</ref> During the [[Third War of the Diadochi]], [[Ptolemy I Soter]] defeated [[Demetrius I Poliorcetes]] in [[Battle of Gaza (312 BC)|the Battle of Gaza]] in 312 BC. In 277 BC, following [[Ptolemy II]]'s successful campaign against the [[Nabataeans]], the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Ptolemaic]] fortress of Gaza took control of the [[spice trade]] with [[Gerrha]] and [[South 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]].<ref name=Pataip149>Patai, 1999, p. 149.</ref>

===Roman period ===
[[File:4551 - Istanbul - Museo archeol. - Zeus - sec. II d.C. - da Gaza - Foto G. Dall'Orto 28-5-2006.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue of [[Zeus]] that was unearthed in Gaza in the 20th century]]
[[Josephus]] notes that Gaza was resettled under the rule of [[Antipater the Idumaean|Antipater]], who cultivated friendly relations with Gazans, [[Ascalon]]ites and neighboring cities after being appointed governor of [[Idumea|Idumaea]] by Jannaeus.<ref name=Shatzmanp79>Shatzman, 1991, p. 79.</ref>

Rebuilt after it was incorporated into the [[Roman Empire]] in 63 BC under the command of [[Pompey Magnus]], Gaza then became a part of the [[Roman Judea|Roman province of Judaea]].<ref name="STF-J"/> It was targeted by Jewish forces during their rebellion against Roman rule in 66 and was partially destroyed.<ref name=Pataip142>Patai, 1999, p. 142.</ref> It nevertheless remained an important city, even more so after the destruction of [[Jerusalem]] during the [[First Jewish–Roman War]].<ref name="Dowling1">Dowling, 1913, p. [https://archive.org/stream/gazacityofmanyba00dowlrich#page/33/mode/1up 33]</ref> Following this, and again at the end of the [[Bar Kokhba revolt]] (132–136 CE), captives were sold into slavery in Gaza.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Harris |first=William V. |date=1980 |title=Towards a Study of the Roman Slave Trade |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4238700 |journal=Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome |volume=36 |pages=128 |doi=10.2307/4238700 |issn=0065-6801 |jstor=4238700 |quote=Slaves were sold at Gaza after the fall of Jerusalem and at the end of the Jewish rebellion in 135, and it may perhaps have been an important slaving center even in ordinary times. |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Throughout the Roman period, Gaza was a prosperous city and received grants and attention from several emperors.<ref name="STF-J"/> A 500-member senate governed Gaza, and a diverse variety of [[Hellenistic|Greeks]], Romans, [[Phoenicia]]ns, [[Jews]], [[Egyptians]], [[Persians]], and [[Bedouin]] populated the city. Gaza's [[Mint (facility)|mint]] issued [[coin]]s adorned with the busts of [[Roman Pantheon|gods]] and [[Roman emperor|emperors]].<ref name="Doughty">{{cite web |url=http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1958&ed=133&edid=133 |title=Gaza: Contested Crossroads |access-date=30 January 2009 |last=Doughty |first=Dick |date=November 2006 |publisher=This Week in Palestine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907165624/http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1958&ed=133&edid=133 |archive-date=7 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During his visit in 130 AD,<ref name="mah">{{cite web |url=http://www.ville-ge.ch/mah/expos/pdf/212/Gaza_timeline.pdf |title=Gaza at the crossroads of civilisations |access-date=23 January 2008 |author=Remondino |date=5 June 2007 |work=Exhibition: Gaza at the crossroads of civilisations (27 April to 7 October 2007) |publisher=Art and History Museum, [[Geneva]], Switzerland }}</ref> Emperor [[Hadrian]] personally inaugurated [[wrestling]], [[boxing]], and [[orator]]ical competitions in Gaza's new [[Roman theatre (structure)|stadium]].{{dubious|Probably stadium, unlikely for a Roman theatre, except for oratory.|date=December 2019}} The city was adorned with many pagan temples; the main cult being that of [[Dagon#Marnas|Marnas]]. Other temples were dedicated to [[Zeus]], [[Helios]], [[Aphrodite]], [[Apollo]], [[Athena]] and the local [[Tyche]].<ref name="STF-J"/> [[Christianity]] began to spread throughout Gaza in 250 AD, including in the [[Port of Gaza|port of Maiuma]].<ref>Jennifer Lee Hevelone-Harper (1997) Disciples of the Desert: Monks, Laity, and Spiritual Authority in Sixth-century Gaza (JHU Press) {{ISBN|0-8018-8110-2}} pp 11- 12</ref><ref>Hagith Sivan (2008) ''Palestine in late antiquity'' Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-928417-2}} p 337</ref><ref>Andrea Sterk (2004) ''Renouncing the World Yet Leading the Church: The Monk-bishop in Late Antiquity'' Harvard University Press, {{ISBN|0-674-01189-9}} p 207</ref><ref>Gerald Butt (1995) ''Life at the crossroads: a history of Gaza'' Rimal Publications, {{ISBN|1-900269-03-1}} p 70</ref>
First evidence of a Bishop of Gaza is from early 4th century, when [[Silvanus of Gaza (hieromartyr)|St. Sylvan]] served in that capacity.<ref>[https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06399c.htm "Gaza" from the Catholic Encyclopedia]</ref>

===Byzantine period ===
Following the [[division of the Roman Empire]] in the 3rd century, Gaza remained under the control of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], which in turn became the [[Byzantine Empire]]. The city prospered and was an important center for southern Palestine.<ref name="Kaegi">Kaegi, W. ''Byzantium and the early Islamic conquests'', p.&nbsp;95</ref> A Christian [[bishopric]] was established at [[Diocese of Gaza|Gaza]]. Conversion to Christianity in Gaza was accelerated under [[Porphyry of Gaza]] between 396 and 420. In 402, [[Theodosius II]] ordered all eight of the city's pagan temples destroyed,<ref name="STF-J"/> and four years later Empress [[Aelia Eudocia]] commissioned the construction of a church atop the ruins of the Temple of Marnas.<ref name="Pringle">Pringle, 1993, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BgQ6AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA208 208]</ref> It was during this era that the Christian philosopher [[Aeneas of Gaza]] called Gaza, his hometown, "the [[Athens]] of Asia."<ref>J.S. Tunison: "Dramatic Traditions of the Dark Ages", Burt Franklin, New York, p.11 [https://books.google.com/books?id=AB2ZqhFdZ4cC&pg=PA11]</ref> The large [[Gaza synagogue]] existed in the 6th century, according to excavations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.english.imjnet.org.il/popup?c0=13127 |title=King David playing the lyre |access-date=28 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517032359/http://www.english.imjnet.org.il/popup?c0=13127 |archive-date=17 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Early Islamic period===
[[File:Umm ar-Rasas mosaic Gaza.png|thumb|right|Depiction of a Gaza building in the Byzantine [[Umm ar-Rasas mosaics]], {{circa|8th century}}, during the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]]]

In {{circa|638}} Gaza was captured by [[Rashidun Caliphate|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.<ref>Kennedy, 2007, p. 88.</ref> It was captured by Amr's forces about three years later. Believed{{by whom|date=September 2025}} to be the site where [[Muhammad]]'s great-grandfather [[Hashim ibn Abd Manaf]] was buried,{{cn|date=September 2025}} 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.<ref name="Filiu18-19">Filiu, 2014, pp. 18–19.</ref>

The arrival of the Muslim Arabs brought significant changes to Gaza; at first, some of its [[church (building)|churches]] were transformed into [[mosque]]s, including the present [[Great Mosque of Gaza]] (the oldest in the city). It was later rebuilt by Sultan [[Baybars]], who endowed it with a huge manuscript library containing over 20,000 [[manuscript]]s in the 13th century.<ref name="Filiu18-19" /> A large segment of the population swiftly adopted Islam,<ref name="Filiu23">Filiu, 2014, pp. 23.</ref><ref name="Ring and Salkin2">Ring and Salkin, 1994, p. 289.</ref> and [[Arabic]] became the official language.<ref name="Ring and Salkin2" /> In 767 [[Al-Shafi'i|Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i]] was born in Gaza and lived his early childhood there; he founded the [[Shafi'i school]], one of the four major schools of [[fiqh]] (law) in [[Sunni Islam]].<ref name="Gil">Gil, 1992, p.292.</ref> 

Security, which was well-maintained during the early Muslim rule, was a key factor in Gaza's prosperity. Although [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] was banned in Islam, the Jewish and Christian communities were allowed to maintain [[viticulture]], and [[grape]]s, a major cash crop of the city, were exported, primarily to [[Egypt]].<ref name="Sharon17-18">{{cite book |last1=Šārôn |first1=Moshe |title=Handbook of Oriental Studies: Handbuch Der Orientalistik. The Near and Middle East. Corpus inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (CIAP). G |date=1997 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-17085-8 |pages=17–18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA17 |language=en }}</ref>

Because it bordered the [[Negev]], Gaza was vulnerable to warring nomadic groups.<ref name="Sharon17-18" /> It was destroyed at the end of the [[Qays–Yaman war (793–796)]] between two powerful [[tribes of Arabia]].<ref name="Dowling2">Dowling, 1913, p. [https://archive.org/stream/gazacityofmanyba00dowlrich#page/37/mode/1up 37]</ref> However, by the 10th century, the city had been rebuilt by the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]; during Abbasid rule, the geographer [[al-Maqdisi]] described Gaza as "a large town lying on the highroad to Egypt on the border of the desert."<ref>[[al-Muqaddasi]] quoted in le Strange, 1890, p. [https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/442/mode/1up 442]</ref> In 978, the [[Fatimid Caliphate]] established an agreement with [[Alptakin]], the Turkic 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.<ref>Gil, 1992, p.349.</ref>

===Crusader and Ayyubid periods===
The [[First Crusade|Crusaders]] conquered Gaza in 1100 and King [[Baldwin III of Jerusalem|Baldwin III]] built a castle in the city for the [[Knights Templar]] in 1149.<ref name="Pringle" /> He also had the Great Mosque converted back into a church, the Cathedral of Saint John.<ref name="mah" /> In 1154, Arab traveller [[al-Idrisi]] wrote that Gaza "is today very populous and in the hands of the Crusaders."<ref>[[Yaqut al-Hamawi]] quoted in le Strange, 1890, p. [https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/442/mode/1up 442]</ref> In 1187 the [[Ayyubid dynasty|Ayyubids]], led by Sultan [[Saladin]], captured Gaza and in 1191 destroyed the city's fortifications. [[Richard the Lionheart]] apparently refortified the city in 1192, but the walls were dismantled again as a result of the [[Treaty of Ramla]] in 1193.<ref name="Pringle" /> Ayyubid rule ended in 1260, after the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] under [[Hulagu Khan]] completely destroyed Gaza, which became his southernmost conquest.<ref name="Ring and Salkin2" />

===Mamluk period===
Following Gaza's destruction by the Mongols, Muslim slave-soldiers based in Egypt known as the [[Bahri dynasty|Mamluks]] began to administer the area. In 1277, the Mamluks made Gaza the capital of a province that bore its name, ''Mamlakat Ghazzah'' (Governorship of Gaza). This district extended along the coastal plain of Palestine from [[Rafah]] in the south to just north of [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarea]], and to the east as far as the [[Samaria]]n highlands and the [[Hebron Hills]]. Other major towns in the province included [[Qaqun]], [[Lod|Ludd]], and [[Ramla]].<ref name="Ring and Salkin2" /><ref name="Sharon">Sharon, 1997, pp.XII-XIII.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=June 2024}} Gaza, which entered a period of tranquility under the Mamluks, was used by them as an outpost in their offensives against the Crusaders which ended in 1290.<ref>Sharon, 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA26 26]</ref> In 1294 an earthquake devastated Gaza, and five years later the Mongols again destroyed all that had been restored by the Mamluks.<ref name="Ring and Salkin2" /> [[Syria (region)|Syrian]] geographer [[Shams al-Din al-Ansari al-Dimashqi|al-Dimashqi]] described Gaza in 1300 as a "city so rich in trees it looks like a cloth of brocade spread out upon the land."<ref name="Doughty" /> Under the governorship of Emir [[Sanjar al-Jawli]], Gaza was transformed into a flourishing city and much of the [[Mamluk architecture|Mamluk-era architecture]] dates back to his reign between 1311 and 1320 and again in 1342.<ref>Sharon, 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA87 87]</ref><ref>Meyer, 1907, p. [https://archive.org/stream/historyofcityofg00meyeuoft#page/83/mode/1up 83]</ref> In 1348 the [[bubonic plague]] spread to the city, killing the majority of its inhabitants and in 1352, Gaza suffered from a destructive flood, which was rare in that arid part of Palestine.<ref name="Ring and Salkin3">Ring and Salkin, 1994, p.290.</ref> However, when Arab writer [[Ibn Battuta]] visited the city in 1355, he noted that it was "large and populous, and has many mosques."<ref>[[Ibn Battuta]] quoted in le Strange, 1890, p. [https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/442/mode/1up 442]</ref> The Mamluks contributed to Gazan architecture by building mosques, [[madrassa|Islamic colleges]], hospitals, [[caravansaries]], and [[Bath house|public baths]].<ref name="Filfil" />

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|date=December 2013}} In 1481, an Italian Jewish traveller, [[Meshulam of Volterra]], wrote of Gaza:<blockquote>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 [[vineyard]]s and fields and houses.<ref>{{cite book |author=Elkan Nathan Adler |title=Jewish Travellers in the Middle Ages |url=https://archive.org/details/jewishtravellers00elka |url-access=registration |publisher=Dover |year=1987 |orig-year=1930 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/jewishtravellers00elka/page/180 180–181] |isbn=9780486253978 }}</ref></blockquote>

===Ottoman period===
[[File:David Roberts - Gaza - 1927.138 - Cleveland Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|right|Painting of Gaza by [[David Roberts (painter)|David Roberts]], 1839, in ''[[The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia]]'']]
[[File:1840–41 Royal Engineers map of Gaza.jpg|thumb|left|Gaza in 1841, as [[1840–41 Royal Engineers maps of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria|mapped by the British Royal Engineers]] after the [[Oriental Crisis of 1840]]]]
[[File:Gaza (1881-1884) (A).jpg|thumb|Muslims studying the [[Qur'an]] with Gaza in the background, painting by [[Harry Fenn]], circa 1884]]
[[File:Francis Frith, Gaza (The Old Town).jpg|thumb|The Old Town, Gaza (1862–1863). Picture by [[Frances Frith]]]]

In 1516 Gaza—at the time, a small town with an inactive port, ruined buildings and reduced trade—was incorporated into the [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref name="Ring and Salkin3" /> The Ottoman army quickly and efficiently crushed a small-scale uprising,<ref>Ze'evi, 1996, p.2.</ref> and the local population generally welcomed them as fellow Sunni Muslims.<ref name="Ring and Salkin3" /> The city was then made the capital of the [[Sanjak of Gaza|Gaza Sanjak]], part of the larger [[Ottoman Syria|Province of Damascus]].<ref>Doumani, 1995, p.35.</ref> The [[Ridwan dynasty|Ridwan family]], named after governor Ridwan Pasha, was the first dynasty to govern Gaza and would continue to rule the city for over a century.<ref name="Ze'evi">Ze'evi, 1996, p.40.</ref> Under [[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]].<ref>Ze'evi, 1996, p.53.</ref>

According to [[Theodore Edward Dowling|Theodore E. Dowling]], writing in 1913, a [[Samaritan]] community existed in Gaza in 1584. They possessed a large [[Synagogue#Samaritan synagogues|synagogue]] and two bathhouses. "One of them still bears the name "[[Hamam al-Sammara|the Bath of the Samaritans]]." It is believed the Samaritans were expelled from the city before the turn of the 16th century.<ref>Dowling, 1913, pp.38-39.</ref>

During the rule of [[Husayn Pasha]], strife between the settled population and the nearby [[Bedouin]] tribes was dramatically reduced, allowing Gaza to peacefully prosper. The Ridwan period is described as a [[golden age]] for Gaza, a time when it served as the virtual "capital of Palestine."<ref>Dowling, 1913, pp. [https://archive.org/stream/gazacityofmanyba00dowlrich#page/70/mode/1up 70]-71</ref><ref>Meyer, 1907, p. [https://archive.org/stream/historyofcityofg00meyeuoft#page/98/mode/1up 98]</ref> The Great Mosque was restored, and six other mosques constructed, while [[Turkish bath]]s and market stalls proliferated.<ref name="Ring and Salkin3" /> After the death of [[Musa Pasha ibn Hasan Ridwan|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.<ref name="Ze'evi2">Ze'evi, 1996, p.41.</ref>

Starting in the early 19th century, Gaza was culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt; [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt]] conquered Gaza in 1832.<ref name="mah" /> American scholar [[Edward Robinson (scholar)|Edward Robinson]] visited the city in 1838, describing it as a "thickly populated" town larger than Jerusalem, with its Old City lying upon a hilltop, while its suburbs laid on the nearby plain.<ref name="Robinson1">Robinson, 1841, vol 2, pp. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearc00smitgoog#page/n396/mode/1up 374]-375</ref> The city benefited from trade and commerce because of its strategic position on the caravan route between Egypt and northern Syria as well as from producing soap and cotton for trade with the government, local Arab tribes, and the Bedouin of [[Wadi Arabah]] and [[Ma'an]].<ref name="Robinson2">Robinson, 1841, vol 2, pp. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearc00smitgoog#page/n399/mode/1up 377–378]</ref> The [[bazaar]]s of Gaza were well-supplied and were noted by Robinson as "far better" than those of Jerusalem.<ref>Robinson, 1841, vol 2, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearc00smitgoog#page/n400/mode/1up 378]</ref> Robinson noted that virtually all of Gaza's vestiges of ancient history and antiquity had disappeared due to constant conflict and occupation.<ref>Robinson, 1841, p.38.</ref> By the mid-19th century, Gaza's port was eclipsed by the ports of Jaffa and [[Haifa]], but it retained its fishing fleet.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" />

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.<ref name="Ring and Salkin3" />

During the late Ottoman period, British ships docking in Gaza were loaded with [[barley]], which was primarily intended for marketing in [[Scotland]] for [[Scotch whisky|whisky]] production. Due to the absence of a British consular agent, precise data on the financial value and quantities of the goods are unavailable.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grossman |first=David |title=Arab Demography and Early Jewish Settlement in Palestine: Distribution and Population Density during the Late Ottoman and Early Mandate Periods |publisher=The Hebrew University Magness Press, Jerusalem |year=2004 |isbn=978-965-493-184-7 |location=Jerusalem |pages=8 |language=he }}</ref>

===Stages of conflict and occupation===
[[File:Gaza after WWI 2.jpg|thumb|Gaza after surrender to British forces, 1918|left]]
While leading the [[Allies of World War I|Allied Forces]] during World War I, the British won control of the city during the [[Third Battle of Gaza]] in 1917.<ref name="Ring and Salkin3" /> After the war, Gaza was included in Mandatory Palestine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merip.org/palestine-israel_primer/brit-mandate-pal-isr-prime.html |title=Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict A Primer |access-date=19 January 2009 |publisher=Middle East Research Information Project |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122095032/http://merip.org/palestine-israel_primer/brit-mandate-pal-isr-prime.html |archive-date=22 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Abu-Lughod">Dumper and Abu-Lughod, 2007, p.155.</ref>

In the 1947 [[United Nations Partition Plan]], Gaza was assigned to be part of an Arab state in Palestine but was [[Occupation of the Gaza Strip by Egypt|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.<ref name="Feldman">Feldman, 2008, pp.8–9.</ref>

=== Israeli occupation and colonisation ===
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,<ref name="Ring and Salkin3" /> and economic conditions in the city worsened.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.palestinechronicle.com/sara-roy-the-gaza-economy/ |author-link=Sara Roy |title=The Economy of Gaza |access-date=19 January 2009 |last=Roy |first=Sara |work=Palestine Chronicle |date=4 October 2006 |publisher=Palestine Information Center }}</ref><gallery mode="packed">
File:117184 nahal netzarim PikiWiki Israel.jpg|Construction by the [[Nahal]] of the Israeli settlement of [[Netzarim]], in the south Gaza-city, November 1972.
File:ילדות בית ספר - עזה 1986.jpg|Palestinian schoolgirls returning home come across Israeli soldiers frisking a group of Palestinian men, November 1986
File:Intifada in Gaza Strip (FL45884501).jpg|Palestinian demonstration during [[First Intifada]] in Gaza Strip, 21 December 1987
File:Residents run away during a home demolition in Gaza during the second intifada.jpg|Armed Israeli bulldozer destroying a Palestinian home in Gaza during the [[Second Intifada]], 2001
</gallery>

===Palestinian control===
{{See also|Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present)|Gaza Strip evacuations}}
In September 1993, the leaders of Israel and the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO) signed the [[Oslo Accords]]. The agreement called for Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and the [[West Bank]] town of [[Jericho]], which was implemented in May 1994. Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza, leaving a new [[Palestinian National Authority]] (PNA) to administer and police the city.<ref name="Ring and Salkin" /> 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.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" />[[File:Gaza City.JPG|thumb|Gaza City in 2007]]In 2005, Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip and removed the thousands of Israelis who had settled in the territory.<ref name="BBCProfile" /> (''See'' [[Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004]].) Since the Israeli withdrawal, [[Hamas]] has been engaged in a sometimes violent power struggle with its rival Palestinian organisation [[Fatah]]. On 25 January 2006, [[Hamas]] won a surprise victory in the [[2006 Palestinian legislative election|elections]] for the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]], the legislature of the [[Palestinian National Authority]]. In 2007, [[Fatah–Hamas battle in Gaza|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.<ref name="BBC07">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6754499.stm |title=Abbas sacks Hamas-led government |access-date=19 January 2009 |date=15 July 2007 |work=[[BBC News]] }}</ref>
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,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/05/israel.gaza.crisis.ap/index.html |title=Human rights coalition: Gaza at worst since 1967 |access-date=19 January 2009 |date=6 March 2008 |publisher=[[CNN]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506111500/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/05/israel.gaza.crisis.ap/index.html |archive-date=6 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and that Israeli air strikes targeting militants in the densely populated areas have often killed bystanders as well.<ref name="BBCProfile">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5122404.stm |title=Gaza crisis: key maps and timeline |access-date=16 June 2009 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=6 January 2009 }}</ref> In 2008, Israel commenced an [[2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict|assault against Gaza]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7811386.stm |title=Gaza conflict: Who is a civilian? |access-date=19 January 2009 |date=5 January 2009 |work=[[BBC News]] |first=Heather |last=Sharp }}</ref> 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.<ref name="idf_updated_death_toll">{{cite news |last=Lappin |first=Yaakov |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=137286 |title=IDF releases Cast Lead casualty numbers |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=26 March 2009 |access-date=6 June 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7835981.stm |title=Rocket salvo tests Gaza ceasefire |access-date=19 January 2009 |date=16 January 2009 |work=[[BBC News]] }}</ref>
[[File:Destroyed Gaza area.PNG|thumb|Destruction in Gaza-city after Israeli bombardment, 22 November 2012]]
In November 2012, after [[Operation Pillar of Defense|a week of conflict]] between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, a ceasefire brokered by Egypt was announced on 21 November.<ref>Najjar, Nasser and Lynch, Sarah. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/21/cease-fire-gaza-resident-hope-reaction/1719997/ Cease-fire brings hope to weary residents of Gaza]. ''[[USA Today]]''. 21 November 2012.</ref> In the [[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 [[United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|UN OCHA]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ochaopt.org/content.aspx?id=1010361 |title=Occupied Palestinian territory, Gaza Crisis |work=[[United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]] |date=15 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725191044/http://www.ochaopt.org/content.aspx?id=1010361 |archive-date=25 July 2015 }}</ref> During the [[2021 Israel–Palestine crisis]], the 13-story Hanadi Tower, which contained a political office of Hamas, was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 2021 |title=Rockets target Tel Aviv after Gaza tower destroyed |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-57066275 |access-date=12 May 2021 }}</ref>

=== Gaza War ===
[[File:Continued Israeli airstrike of the Gaza Strip.jpg|left|thumb|Residential tower in Gaza destroyed by Israeli bombardment on the morning of 8 October 2023]]
In 2023, the city was again targeted during the [[Gaza war]]. On 2 November, the [[siege of Gaza City]] started.<ref>{{cite news |date=2 November 2023 |title=IDF chief: Israeli forces have Gaza city surrounded |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-771374 |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=12 November 2023 }}</ref> As of January 2024, Israel’s offensive has either damaged or destroyed 70–80% of all buildings in northern Gaza.<ref>{{cite news |title=Over 50% of Gaza buildings damaged or destroyed in Israel's bombardment |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/01/14/gaza-building-damage-israel-war |work=Axios |date=5 January 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The numbers that reveal the extent of the destruction in Gaza |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/08/the-numbers-that-reveal-the-extent-of-the-destruction-in-gaza |work=The Guardian |date=8 January 2024 }}</ref> Gaza was left largely deserted, with about only 300,000 people staying in the city.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Diaz |first1=Jaclyn |title=Many Gaza residents remain trapped in the north after short evacuation window |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/11/04/1210645183/israeli-military-announces-brief-window-people-in-northern-gaza-to-flee-south |access-date=8 June 2024 |website=npr.org |date=4 November 2023 |publisher=NPR }}</ref> The remaining population was subjected to a [[Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present)|humanitarian crisis]] and [[Gaza Strip famine|starvation]] brought on by the war.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. aid official says famine has begun in northern Gaza |date=11 April 2024 |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/04/11/us-official-famine-northern-gaza |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240412031951/https://www.axios.com/2024/04/11/us-official-famine-northern-gaza |archive-date=12 April 2024 |access-date=24 April 2024 }}</ref>[[File:Damage in Gaza Strip during the October 2023 - 26.jpg|thumb|[[Rimal|Rimal district]] in Gaza City on 9 October 2023]]Seventy percent of the city was destroyed by airstrikes,<ref>{{cite web |title=Gaza Strip in maps: How life has changed Published |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675 |access-date=8 June 2024 |website=bbc.com |date=22 November 2012 |publisher=BBC }}</ref> and at least 64,964 people were killed in the Strip.<ref name="AJ">{{cite web |title=Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker |access-date=20 May 2024 |website=aljazeera.com |publisher=Aljazeera }}</ref> Israel has been accused of committing a [[Gaza genocide|genocide]] of Palestinians in Gaza during the war, with South Africa [[South Africa's genocide case against Israel|initiating proceedings]] at the [[International Court of Justice]] against Israel.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67922346 |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=bbc.com |date=10 January 2024 |publisher=BBC }}</ref> On 10 August 2025, five journalists were killed in Gaza city as a result of an Israeli air strike, including crew from [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al-Jazeera Network]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tondo |first=Lorenzo |date=11 August 2025 |title=Global outrage mounts as funeral held for five journalists killed by Israel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/11/funeral-held-for-anas-al-sharif-and-other-journalists-killed-in-israeli-strike |access-date=11 August 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 }}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Gaza Beach.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Beach in Gaza City in 2006]]
Central Gaza is situated on a low-lying and round hill with an elevation of {{convert|14|m|ft}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Gaza |url=https://medcities.org/member/gaza-2/ |website=MedCities |access-date=1 October 2023 |date=20 July 2021 }}</ref> 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 {{convert|3|km|mi}} west of the city's nucleus and the space in between is entirely built up on low-lying hills.<ref name="Robinson1" />

The municipal jurisdiction of the city today constitutes about {{convert|45|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name=GazaMunicipality>{{cite web |url=http://www.mogaza.org/gazacity.htm |title=Gaza City |publisher=Gaza Municipality |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620101738/http://www.mogaza.org/gazacity.htm |archive-date=20 June 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Gaza is {{convert|78|km|mi}} southwest of [[Jerusalem]], {{convert|71|km|mi}} south of [[Tel Aviv]],<ref>[http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distanceresult.html?p1=702&p2=676 Distance from Gaza to Tel Aviv] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611204838/http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distanceresult.html?p1=702&p2=676 |date=11 June 2011 }} and [http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distanceresult.html?p1=702&p2=110 Distance from Gaza to Jerusalem] {{Webarchive| url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611204928/http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distanceresult.html?p1=702&p2=110 |date=11 June 2011 }} Time and Date AS.</ref> and {{convert|30|km|mi}} north of [[Rafah]].<ref>[http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Rafah_1500/index.html Welcome to Rafah] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219042214/http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Rafah_1500/index.html |date=19 February 2010 }} Palestine Remembered.</ref> Surrounding localities include [[Beit Lahia]], [[Beit Hanoun]], and [[Jabalia]] to the north, and the village of [[Abu Middein]], the [[Palestinian refugee camp|refugee camp]] of [[Bureij]], and the city of [[Deir al-Balah]] to the south.<ref name="PR">{{cite web |url=http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Gaza_526/SatelliteView.html |title=Satellite View of Gaza |access-date=19 January 2009 |publisher=Palestine Remembered |archive-date=30 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830035547/http://palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Gaza_526/SatelliteView.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The population of Gaza depends on groundwater as the only source for drinking, agricultural use, and domestic supply. The nearest [[wadi|stream]] is Wadi Ghazza to the south, sourced from Abu Middein along the coastline. It bears a small amount of water during the winter and virtually no water during the summer.<ref name="Chilton" /> Most of [[Water supply and sanitation in the State of Palestine|its water supply]] is diverted into Israel.<ref>Lipchin, 2007, p.109.</ref> 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.<ref name="Chilton">Chilton, 1999, p.77. Excerpt from report by Mohammad R. Al-Agha from the [[Islamic University of Gaza]].</ref>
[[File:Map of Gaza Strip with no-go zone 2012.jpg|thumb|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 {{convert|270|ft|m}} [[Above mean sea level|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 (shrine)|maqam]]'') dedicated to Ali al-Muntar. There are old Muslim graves around the surrounding trees,<ref name="Briggs1">Briggs, 1918, p.258.</ref> and the lintel of the doorway of the ''maqam'' has two medieval Arabic scriptures.<ref name="STF-J" />

=== Old City ===
{{main|Old City of Gaza}}

The Old City forms the main part of Gaza's nucleus. It is roughly divided into two quarters; the northern [[al-Daraj|Daraj Quarter]] (also known as the Muslim Quarter) and the southern [[al-Zaytun|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 {{convert|1.6|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" />

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).<ref>Pringle, 1993, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BgQ6AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA209 209]</ref>

Some of the older buildings in Gaza's Old City use the ''[[ablaq]]'' style of decoration which features alternating layers of red and white masonry, prevalent in the Mamluk era. Daraj contains the [[Gold Market|Gold (Qissariya) Market]] as well as the [[Great Mosque of Gaza]] (oldest mosque in Gaza)<ref name="Sheehan">Sheehan, 2000, p. 429.</ref> and the [[Sayed al-Hashim Mosque]].<ref name="Sharon31">Sharon, 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA31 31]</ref> In Zaytun lies the [[Saint Porphryrius Church]], the [[Katib al-Wilaya Mosque]], and [[Hamam as-Sammara]] ("the Samaritan's Bathhouse.")<ref name="TWP">{{cite web |url=http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1985&ed=134&edid=134 |title=Hammat al-Sammara/Hammam es-Samara/Sammara Public Baths |first=Laila |last=El-Haddad |author-link=Laila el-Haddad |date=December 2006 |work=This Week in Palestine |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907170107/http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1985&ed=134&edid=134 |archive-date=7 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Districts ===
[[File:غزة.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Eastern Gaza City in 2013]] 
Gaza is composed of thirteen districts (''hayy'') outside of the Old City.<ref name="OCHA">{{Cite map |title=Gaza Strip: Communities and Neighborhoods Map |publisher=[[United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]] |edition=2009 |url=http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_crisis_neighbourhoods_map_2009_01_26.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219092947/http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_crisis_neighbourhoods_map_2009_01_26.pdf |archive-date=19 February 2009 }}</ref> The first extension of Gaza beyond its city center was the district of [[Shuja'iyya]], built on a hill just east and southeast of the Old City during the [[Ayyubid]] period.<ref name="Sharon30">Sharon, 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA30 30]</ref> In the northeast is the Mamluk-era district of [[Tuffah]],<ref name="Butt">Butt, 1995, p. 9.</ref> which is roughly divided into eastern and western halves and was originally located within the Old City's walls.<ref name="Sheehan" />

During the 1930s and 1940s, a new residential district, [[Rimal]] (currently divided into the districts of Northern Rimal and Southern Rimal),<ref name="OCHA" /> was constructed on the sand dunes west of the city center, and the district of [[Zeitoun, Gaza|Zeitoun]] was built along Gaza's southern and southwestern borders, while the Judeide ("the New") and Turukman neighborhoods of Shuja'iyya expanded into separate districts in the northeast and southeast, respectively.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /><ref name="MET">{{cite web |url=http://www.mideasttravelling.net/palestine/gaza/gaza_culture.htm |title=Travel in Gaza |publisher=MidEastTravelling |access-date=16 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823050026/http://www.mideasttravelling.net/palestine/gaza/gaza_culture.htm |archive-date=23 August 2013 }}</ref> [[Judeide]] (also known Shuja'iyyat al-Akrad) was named after the [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] military units who settled there during the Mamluk era, while [[Turukman]] was named after the [[Oghuz Turks|Turkmen]] military units who settled there.<ref name="Sharon30" />
[[File:Aerial view of destruction in Beach refugee camp, Gaza Strip.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the [[Al-Shati refugee camp]], 3 July 2024, with significant damage caused by Israeli airstrikes.]]
The areas between Rimal and the Old City became the districts of [[Sabra, Gaza|Sabra]] and Daraj.<ref name="Butt" /> In the northwest is the district of [[Nasser, Gaza|Nasser]], built in the early 1950s and named in honor of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.<ref name="Husseini" /> The district of [[Sheikh Radwan]], developed in the 1970s, is {{convert|3|km|mi}} to the north of the Old City and is named after Sheikh Radwan—the tomb of whom is located within the district.<ref name="Butt" /><ref>Bitton-Ashkelony, 2004, p. 75.</ref> Gaza has absorbed the village of al-Qubbah near [[Green Line (Israel)|the border with Israel]], as well as the [[Palestinian refugee camp]] of [[al-Shati]] along the coast,<ref name="PR" /> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=35061 |title=Tel Al-Hawa: The invasion and then after |publisher=[[Ma'an News Agency]] |date=17 January 2009 |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822045032/http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=35061 |archive-date=22 August 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Along the southern coast of the city is the neighborhood of [[Sheikh Ijlin]].<ref name="OCHA" />

=== Climate ===
Gaza has a [[hot semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''BSh''), with Mediterranean characteristics, featuring mild rainy winters and dry hot but humid summers.<ref>{{cite report |last1=Sansur |first1=Dr. Ramzi M. |title=Environment and development in the WB and Gaza Strip-UNCTAD study |date=21 April 1995 |publisher=United Nations |url=https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-176121/ |access-date=1 October 2023 }}</ref> Spring arrives around March or April and the hottest month is August, with the average high being {{convert|31.7|°C|°F|1|sp=us}}. The coolest month is January with temperatures usually peaking at {{convert|18.3|°C|°F|1|sp=us}}. Rain is scarce and falls almost exclusively between November and March, with annual rainfall totalling approximately {{convert|395|mm|in|1|disp=or}}.<ref name="MSN">{{cite web |url=http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?&wealocations=wc%3a11884&q=Gaza%2c+Gaza+Strip&setunit=C |title=Monthly Averages for Gaza, Gaza Strip |publisher=MSN Weather |access-date=15 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210101355/http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx |archive-date=10 February 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Gaza
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 18.3
|Feb high C = 18.9
|Mar high C = 21.1
|Apr high C = 24.4
|May high C = 27.2
|Jun high C = 29.4
|Jul high C = 30.6
|Aug high C = 31.7
|Sep high C = 30.6
|Oct high C = 28.9
|Nov high C = 25.0
|Dec high C = 20.6
|year high C = 25.6
|Jan mean C = 13.9
|Feb mean C = 14.5
|Mar mean C = 16.4
|Apr mean C = 19.1
|May mean C = 21.8
|Jun mean C = 24.5
|Jul mean C = 26.0
|Aug mean C = 27.0
|Sep mean C = 25.6
|Oct mean C = 23.3
|Nov mean C = 19.8
|Dec mean C = 16.1
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = 9.4
|Feb low C = 10.0
|Mar low C = 11.6
|Apr low C = 13.8
|May low C = 16.4
|Jun low C = 19.5
|Jul low C = 21.4
|Aug low C = 22.2
|Sep low C = 20.5
|Oct low C = 17.7
|Nov low C = 14.5
|Dec low C = 11.6
|year low C = 15.7
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 104
|Feb rain mm = 76
|Mar rain mm = 30
|Apr rain mm = 13
|May rain mm = 3
|Jun rain mm = 1
|Jul rain mm = 0
|Aug rain mm = 1
|Sep rain mm = 3
|Oct rain mm = 18
|Nov rain mm = 64
|Dec rain mm = 81
| Jan humidity = 85
| Feb humidity = 84
| Mar humidity = 83
| Apr humidity = 82
| May humidity = 84
| Jun humidity = 87
| Jul humidity = 86
| Aug humidity = 87
| Sep humidity = 86
| Oct humidity = 74
| Nov humidity = 78
| Dec humidity = 81
| year humidity = 83
| Jan sun = 204.6
| Feb sun = 192.1
| Mar sun = 241.8
| Apr sun = 264.0
| May sun = 331.7
| Jun sun = 339.0
| Jul sun = 353.4
| Aug sun = 337.9
| Sep sun = 306.0
| Oct sun = 275.9
| Nov sun = 237.0
| Dec sun = 204.6
|year sun = 3288.0
| Jand sun = 6.6
| Febd sun = 6.8
| Mard sun = 7.8
| Aprd sun = 8.8
| Mayd sun = 10.7
| Jund sun = 11.3
| Juld sun = 11.4
| Augd sun = 10.9
| Sepd sun = 10.2
| Octd sun = 8.9
| Novd sun = 7.9
| Decd sun = 6.6
|yeard sun = 9.1
|source 1 = Arab Meteorology Book<ref name=climate>{{cite web |url=http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf |title=Appendix I: Meteorological Data |publisher=Springer |access-date=25 October 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072830/http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

== Demographics ==

=== Population ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:15px;"
|-
! Year
! Population
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1596 || style="text-align:center;"|6,000<ref name="Hut" />
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1838 || style="text-align:center;"|15,000–16,000<ref name="Robinson2" />
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1882 || style="text-align:center;"|16,000<ref name="Meyer">Meyer, 1907, p.[https://archive.org/stream/historyofcityofg00meyeuoft#page/108/mode/1up 108]</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1897 || style="text-align:center;"|36,000<ref name="Meyer" />
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1906 || style="text-align:center;"|40,000<ref name="Meyer" />
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1914 || style="text-align:center;"|42,000<ref name="IIPA">IIPA, 1966, p. 44.</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| [[1922 census of Palestine|1922]] || style="text-align:center;"|17,480<ref name="Report and General Abstracts of the census of 1922">Barron, 1923, p. [https://archive.org/stream/PalestineCensus1922/Palestine%20Census%20%281922%29#page/n8/mode/1up 6]</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| [[1931 census of Palestine|1931]] || style="text-align:center;"|17,046<ref name="Census of Palestine 1931">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/CensusOfPalestine1931.PopulationOfVillagesTownsAndAdministrativeAreas |title=Census of Palestine 1931. Population of villages, towns and administrative areas |access-date=12 November 2014 |work=1931 Census of Palestine |publisher=British Mandate survey in 1931 }}</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| [[Village Statistics, 1945|1945]] || style="text-align:center;"|34,250<ref name="Hadawi">Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20I/Gaza/Page-045.jpg 45] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150132/http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20I/Gaza/Page-045.jpg |date=24 September 2015 }}</ref><ref name=1945p31>Department of Statistics, 1945, p. [http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VSpages/VS1945_p31.jpg 31] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414113959/http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VSpages/VS1945_p31.jpg |date=14 April 2020 }}</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1982 || style="text-align:center;"|100,272<ref>Census by [[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]]</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1997 || style="text-align:center;"|306,113<ref name="PCBSCensus" />
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 2007 ||style="text-align:center;"|449,221<ref name="pop2017" />
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 2012 ||style="text-align:center;"|590,481<ref name="pop2017" />
|}

According to Ottoman tax records in 1557, Gaza had 2,477 male taxpayers.<ref name="Cohen">Cohen and Lewis, 1978.</ref> The statistics from 1596 show that Gaza's Muslim population consisted of 456 households, 115 bachelors, 59 religious persons, and 19 disabled persons. In addition to the Muslim figure, there were 141 ''jundiyan'' or "soldiers" in the Ottoman army. Of the Christians, there were 294 households and seven bachelors, while there were 73 Jewish households and eight [[Samaritan]] households. In total, an estimated 6,000 people lived in Gaza, making it the third largest city in Ottoman Palestine after Jerusalem and [[Safad]].<ref name="Hut">Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p.52.</ref>

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.<ref name="Robinson2" /> 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.<ref name="IIPA" /> The following [[1922 census of Palestine|census]], which was conducted in 1922 by the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate authorities]] shows a sharp decrease in population which stood at 17,480 residents (16,722 Muslims, 701 Christians, 54 Jews and three [[Shia villages in Palestine|Metawilehs]]).<ref name="Report and General Abstracts of the census of 1922" /> 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).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=E. |title=Census of Palestine 1931 |publisher=Greek Convent & Goldberg Presses |year=1931 |location=Jerusalem |pages=3 }}</ref>

The village statistics of 1938 list Gaza's population as 20,500 with 5,282 in nearby suburbs.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VillageStatistics1938orig.pdf |title=Village Statistics |year=1938 |pages=63 }}</ref> The [[Village Statistics, 1945|village statistics of 1945]] list the population as 34,250 (33,160 Muslims, 1,010 Christians, and 80 Jews).<ref name="Hadawi" />

According to a 1997 census by the [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS), Gaza and the adjacent [[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.<ref name="PCBSCensus">{{cite web |url=http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t1.aspx |title=Gaza Governorate: Palestinian Population by Locality, Subspace and Age Groups in Years |access-date=19 January 2009 |publisher=[[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS) |year=1997 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130075440/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t1.aspx |archive-date=30 January 2012 }}</ref>
[[File:Natives of Gaza. Palestine.jpg|thumb|Men from Gaza, 19th century]]
[[File:Gaza Strip (997008872764505171.jpg|thumb|People in Gaza City in 1956|left]]
A massive influx of [[Palestinian refugee]]s swelled Gaza's population after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. By 1967, the population had grown to about six times its 1948 size.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /> In 1997, 51.8% of Gaza's inhabitants were refugees or their descendants.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t6.aspx Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107152041/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t6.aspx |date=7 January 2008 }} [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS)</ref> The city's population has continued to increase since that time to 590,481 in 2017, making it the largest city in the [[Palestinian territories]].<ref name="pop2017" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/site/617/default.aspx |title=FAQ |access-date=20 October 2013 |publisher=[[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020215833/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/site/617/default.aspx |archive-date=20 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Gaza City has one of the highest overall growth rates in the world. Its population density is 9,982.69/km<sup>2</sup> (26,424.76/sq mi) comparable to New York City (10,725.4/km<sup>2</sup> – 27,778.7/sq mi), half of Paris density (21,000/km<sup>2</sup> – 55,000/sq mi).<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /><ref>Gaza has a population of 449,221 (2009 census) and an area of {{convert|45|km2|sqmi||sigfig=2}} ([http://www.mogaza.org/index.php?page=gazacity Municipality of Gaza] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528010900/http://www.mogaza.org/index.php?page=gazacity |date=28 May 2010 }} {{in lang|ar}}). This gives a population density of 9,982.69/km² (26,424.76/mi²).</ref> In 2007 poverty, unemployment and poor living conditions were widespread and many residents received [[United Nations Relief and Works Agency|United Nations]] food aid.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7266326.stm |title=Five militants die in Gaza strike |access-date=19 January 2009 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=27 February 2008 }}</ref>

=== Religion ===
The population of Gaza is overwhelmingly composed of Muslims, who mostly follow [[Sunni Islam]].<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /> 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.<ref name="Filfil" />

Gaza is home to a small [[Palestinian Christians|Palestinian Christian]] minority of about 3,500 people.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7246454.stm |title=Militants bomb Gaza YMCA library |access-date=19 January 2009 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=15 February 2008 }}</ref> The majority live in the Zaytun Quarter of the Old City and belong to the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem|Greek Orthodox]], [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], and [[Baptist Church|Baptist]] denominations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://imeu.net/news/article007836.shtml |title=Gaza's Christian community&nbsp;– serenity, solidarity and soulfulness |access-date=19 January 2009 |last=Omer |first=Mohammed |date=9 February 2008 |publisher=[[Institute for Middle East Understanding]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122185050/http://imeu.net/news/article007836.shtml |archive-date=22 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1906, there were about 750 Christians, of which 700 were Orthodox and 50 were Roman Catholic.<ref name="Meyer" />

Gaza's Jewish community was roughly 3,000 years old,<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /> and in 1481 there were sixty Jewish households.<ref>[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=91&letter=G&search=gaza Gaza], ''[[Jewish Encyclopedia]]''</ref> At the time of the [[1929 Palestine riots]], there were fifty families living in Gaza, most of whom fled after the riots.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /> In Sami Hadawi's land and population survey, Gaza had a population of 34,250, including 80 Jews in 1945.<ref name="Hadawi" /> Most of them left the city after the 1948 War, due to mutual distrust between them and the Arab majority.<ref name = JVL>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/gaza_settlements |title=A Brief History of the Gaza Settlements |encyclopedia=Jewish Virtual Library |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016201938/https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/gaza_settlements |archive-date=16 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Today, there are no Jews living in Gaza.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Peace/MFADocuments/Pages/Disengagement%20Plan%20-%20General%20Outline.aspx |title=The Disengagement Plan-General Outline<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=28 April 2017 }}</ref>

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Gaza}}

[[File:أحد شوارع غزة 2012.jpg|thumb|Gaza City in 2012|left]]
[[File:Gaza Park - منتزه بلدية غزة.jpg|thumb|right|Gaza park, 2012]]
[[File:منتجع الشاليهات.jpg|thumb|A beach resort in Gaza City in 2010|left]]
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.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /> 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.<ref name="Abu-Lughod" /> 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.<ref name=Mcintyre>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/as-the-israeli-blockade-eases-gaza-goes-shopping-2035432.html "As the Israeli blockade eases, Gaza goes shopping"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810152602/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/as-the-israeli-blockade-eases-gaza-goes-shopping-2035432.html |date=10 August 2011 }}, Donald Macintyre, 26 July 2010, ''The Independent''</ref><ref name=Waked>[http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3922441,00.html "1st Gaza mall attracts thousands; Despite siege, new shopping center in Strip opened its doors last Saturday to enthusiastic crowds, offering international brands, much-needed air-conditioning. Mall's manager promises affordable prices tailored for local residents"], Ali Waked, 07.20.10, [[Ynet]].</ref>

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.<ref name="Oxfam" /> 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 crop]]s.<ref name="Oxfam">{{cite web |url=http://mediciconafrica.altervista.org/newsletter/gaza.pdf |title=The Gaza Strip: A Humanitarian Implosion |access-date=19 January 2009 |publisher=[[Oxfam]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224105507/http://mediciconafrica.altervista.org/newsletter/gaza.pdf |archive-date=24 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Gaza's [[food prices]] rose during the blockade, with wheat flour going up 34%, rice up 21%, and baby powder up 30%. In 2007, households spent an average of 62% of their total income on food, compared to 37% in 2004. In less than a decade, the number of families depending on UNRWA food aid increased tenfold.<ref name="Oxfam" /> In 2008, 80% of the population relied on humanitarian aid in 2008 compared to 63% in 2006. According to a report by [[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.<ref name="Oxfam" />

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.<ref name=NYToverview>{{cite news |title=Gaza Strip |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/gaza_strip/index.html |access-date=18 October 2012 |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=28 August 2012 }}</ref> The economy of Gaza grew by 8% in the first 11 months of 2010.<ref name="businessweek.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-08/palestinians-lure-banks-with-first-sukuk-bills-islamic-finance.html |title=Palestinians Lure Banks with First Sukuk Bills: Islamic Finance - BusinessWeek |access-date=8 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212090617/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-08/palestinians-lure-banks-with-first-sukuk-bills-islamic-finance.html |archive-date=12 December 2010 }}</ref> Economic activity is largely supported by [[International aid to Palestinians|foreign aid donations]].<ref name="businessweek.com" /> There are a number of hotels in Gaza, including the Palestine, Grand Palace, Adam, al-Amal, al-Quds, Cliff, [[Al Deira Hotel|al-Deira]] and Marna House. All, except the Palestine Hotel, are located along in the coastal [[Rimal]] district. The [[United Nations]] (UN) has a beach club on the same street. Gaza is not a frequent destination for tourists, and most foreigners who stay in hotels are journalists, aid workers, and UN and [[Red Cross]] personnel. Upmarket hotels include the al-Quds and the al-Deira Hotel.<ref>Jacobs, 1994, p.454</ref>

Presence of [[hydrocarbon reserves]] around the region gives potential to Gaza, to develop as a leading industrial center.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=24 August 2005 |title='This Genocide Is About Oil' |url=https://atmos.earth/this-genocide-is-about-oil/ |access-date=5 August 2024 |website=Atmos |language=en }}</ref> Many of the region’s gas and oil fields are underneath Gaza.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=28 August 2019 |title=The unrealized potential of Palestinian oil and gas reserves |url=https://unctad.org/news/unrealized-potential-palestinian-oil-and-gas-reserves |access-date=9 September 2024 |website=[[UN Trade and Development]] }}</ref> In 1999, [[Natural gas in the Gaza Strip|natural gas reserves]] were discovered, offshore of the territory, known as [[Gaza Marine]].<ref name=":0" /> It holds {{convert|1|e12cuft||abbr=off}} of [[natural gas]], as a part of the Levant Basin, which itself holds {{convert|122|e12cuft||abbr=off}} of natural gas.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> The Levant Basin on the [[Mediterranean Sea]], which includes coastal regions of Israel, [[Egypt]], [[Cyprus]], [[Lebanon]], [[Syria]] and [[Palestine]], is estimated to have {{convert|1.7|Goilbbl|m3}} of oil.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Gaza is the only coastal part of the State of Palestine.<ref name=":0" /> In 2000, exploration license were granted by the [[Government of Palestine|government]] to [[British Gas Group]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> However, the project was interrupted during the [[Second Intifada|2000–2005 uprisings]], where supportive infrastructure, the [[Gaza Seaport plans|seaport]] and [[Yasser Arafat International Airport|airport]] was destroyed by Israel.<ref name=":0" /> In 2023, the work gain momentum again, until it was crashed in the ongoing war.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> 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 [[Gaza genocide|potential genocidal campaign]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Culture ==

=== Cultural centers and museums ===
[[File:مكتبة جواهر لال نهرو - جامعة الأزهر.jpg|thumb|right|Nehru Library and Cultural Center at Gaza's [[Al-Azhar University – Gaza|Al-Azhar University]] ]]
The [[Rashad Shawa Cultural Center]], located in [[Rimal]], was completed in 1988 and named after its founder, former mayor [[Rashad al-Shawa]].<ref name="RSCC">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.mogaza.org/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGaza%2BMunicipality%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DE5j%26pwst%3D1 Rashad Shawa Cultural Center] Gaza Municipality.</ref> 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.<ref name="ADL">[http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=1013 Rashad Shawa Cultural Center] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802011556/http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=1013 |date=2 August 2009 }} Archnet Digital Library.</ref> 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.<ref>Abdel-Shafi, Sami. [http://imeu.net/news/article007595.shtml Promoting culture and hope in Gaza] [[Institute for Middle East Understanding]] republishing of ''This Week in Palestine''. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824001616/http://imeu.net/news/article007595.shtml |date=24 August 2013 }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1888&ed=130&edid=130 |title=Arts and Crafts Village |publisher=This Week in Palestine |first=Amelia |last=Thomas |date=September 2006 |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720234837/http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1888&ed=130&edid=130 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Gaza Theater, financed by contributions from Norway, opened in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/programs/morning/transcripts/2004/feb/040210.kenyon.html |title=Analasis: New Cinema Opening up in Gaza City |publisher=NPR |first=Bob |last=Edwards |date=14 February 2004 |access-date=16 February 2009 }}</ref> 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 art]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0722/p11s02-wome.html |title=Theater thrives in Gaza, despite restrictions |work=The Christian Science Monitor |first=Amelia |last=Thomas |date=22 January 2005 |access-date=16 February 2009 }}</ref>

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.<ref>Bronner, Ethan. [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/world/middleeast/25gaza.html?_r=3&scp=2&sq=archaeology&st=cse&oref=slogin Museum Offers Gray Gaza a View of Its Dazzling Past]. ''[[New York Times]]'', 25 July 2008.</ref>

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|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 [[tamarind]]. Many of the traditional dishes rely on [[clay pot cooking]], which preserves the flavor and texture of the vegetables and results in fork-tender meat. Traditionally, most Gazan dishes are seasonal and rely on ingredients indigenous to the area and its surrounding villages. Poverty has also played a role in many of the city's simple meatless dishes and stews, such as ''saliq wa adas'' ("chard and lentils") and ''bisara'' (fava beans mashed with dried [[mulukhiya]] leaves and chilies).<ref name="Haddad">[[Laila el-Haddad|El-Haddad, Laila]]. [http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1726&ed=115&edid=115 The Foods of Gaza] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724171358/http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1726&ed=115&edid=115 |date=24 July 2011 }} ''This Week in Palestine''. June 2006.</ref>

Seafood is a key aspect of Gaza life and a local staple,<ref>Farsakh, Mai M. [http://imeu.net/news/article001840.shtml The rich flavors of Palestine] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416133124/http://imeu.net/news/article001840.shtml |date=16 April 2009 }} [[Institute for Middle East Understanding]]. 11 June 2006.</ref> Some well-known seafood dishes include ''zibdiyit gambari'', literally, "shrimps in a clay pot", and ''shatta'' which are crabs stuffed with red hot chili pepper dip, then baked in the oven. Fish is either fried or grilled after being stuffed with cilantro, garlic, chillies and cumin, and marinated with various spices. It is also a key ingredient in ''sayyadiya'', rice cooked with caramelized onions, a generous amount of whole garlic cloves, large chunks of well-marinated fried fish, and spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin.<ref name="Haddad" /> Many of the 1948-era refugees were ''[[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.<ref name="Haddad" /> ''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.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NTo6c_PJWRgC&q=gaza+levantine+food&pg=PA285 |title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia |first=Ken |last=Albala |date=1 January 2011 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9780313376269 |access-date=28 April 2017 |via=Google Books }}</ref>

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]].<ref name="CBS">{{cite news |title=Israel's Gaza Blockade Baffles Both Sides |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israels-gaza-blockade-baffles-both-sides/ |access-date=10 August 2010 |newspaper=[[CBS News]] |date=28 May 2010 |archive-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511163813/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/28/world/main6526479.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="uk.reuters.com">{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-palestinians-gaza-deaf/gaza-deaf-restaurant-a-chance-to-change-perceptions-idUSLNE89H01U20121018 |title=Gaza deaf restaurant a chance to change perceptions |newspaper=Reuters |date=18 October 2012 |access-date=28 April 2017 }}</ref>

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.<ref>Jacobs, 1994, p.456</ref>

=== Costumes and embroidery ===
{{See also|Palestinian costumes}}
[[File:Chest panel from Gaza dress (Palestinian Thobe).jpg|thumb|Chest panel from Gaza dress]]
[[Gauze]] is reputed to have originated in Gaza. Cloth for the Gaza ''thob'' was often woven at nearby [[al-Majdal, Askalan|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]].<ref name="PCA2">{{cite web |title=Palestine costume before 1948: by region |publisher=Palestine Costume Archive |access-date=1 August 2008 |url=http://www.palestinecostumearchive.org/regional.htm |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20020913101705/http%3A//www%2Epalestinecostumearchive%2Eorg/regional%2Ehtm |archive-date=13 September 2002 }}</ref>

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.<ref name=Hammami>Rema Hammami. "Women, the Hijab and the Intifada" in ''[[Middle East Report]]'', No. 164/165, May–Aug. 1990. {{JSTOR|3012687 }}</ref>

=== Sports ===
[[Palestine Stadium]], the Palestinian national stadium, is located in Gaza and has a capacity for 10,000 people. Gaza has several local football teams that participate in the [[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).<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesp/pales06.html Palestina 2005/06] Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.</ref>

== Governance ==
[[File:Sa'id al-Shawa.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Said al-Shawa]], the first [[mayor of Gaza]]]]
{{See also|Palestinian Legislative Council|Politics of the Palestinian National Authority|Mayor of Gaza City}}

Today, Gaza serves as the administrative capital of the [[Gaza Governorate]].<ref>[http://www.gaza.gov.ps/englishVersion/default.asp Gaza Governorate Home Page] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050309160721/http://www.gaza.gov.ps/englishVersion/default.asp |date=9 March 2005 }} Governorate of Gaza Official Website.</ref> 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 of Gaza|mayor]] by the Ottoman authorities.<ref name="Mayors">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.mogaza.org/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGaza%2BMunicipality%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DE5j%26pwst%3D1 Former Presidents of the Municipality of Gaza]. Municipality of Gaza.</ref> 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.<ref>[http://74.125.45.113/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.mogaza.org/ex-mayors-1.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGaza%2BMunicipality%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DE5j%26pwst%3D1&usg=ALkJrhh8sFQSMFpVW1ggNf5j7ikrGkFWzQ Said al-Shawa, 1906]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Gaza Municipality.</ref> In 1922, British [[Secretary of State for the Colonies|colonial secretary]] [[Winston Churchill]] requested that Gaza develop its own [[constitution]] under Mandatory Palestine. However, it was rejected by the Palestinians.<ref>{{cite book |author=Tessler M |chapter=Ch. 3: The Conflict Takes Shape |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3kbU4BIAcrQC&q=palestine+constitution+1922&pg=PA172 |title=A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict |year=1994 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=0253208734 }}</ref>

On 24 July 1994, the PNA proclaimed Gaza the first [[Municipality (Palestinian Authority)|city council]] in the [[Palestinian territories]].<ref name="PASSIA">[http://www.passia.org/palestine_facts/chronology/19941995.htm Palestine Facts Timeline] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729174648/http://www.passia.org/palestine_facts/chronology/19941995.htm |date=29 July 2013 }} [[Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs]] (PASSIA).</ref> The 2005 [[2004–05 Palestinian local elections|Palestinian municipal elections]] were not held in Gaza, nor in [[Khan Yunis]] or Rafah. Instead, [[Fatah]] party officials selected the smaller cities, towns, and villages to hold elections, assuming they would fare better in less urban areas. The rival [[Hamas]] party, however, won the majority of seats in seven of the ten municipalities selected for the first round with voter turnout being around 80%.<ref>Anderson, John. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44058-2005Jan28.html Hamas Dominates Local Vote in Gaza] [[Washington Post]]. 29 January 2005.</ref> 2007 saw [[2007 Battle of Gaza|violent clashes]] between the two parties that left over 100 dead, ultimately resulting in Hamas taking over the city.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6748621.stm How Hamas took over the Gaza Strip] ''[[BBC News]]''.</ref>

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.<ref>[http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=688460 New Gaza City mayor to start job Sunday] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408220243/http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=688460 |date=8 April 2014 }}. ''[[Maan News Agency]]''. 9 April 2014.</ref>

== Education ==
[[File:Girls lining up for class - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg|thumb|Schoolgirls in Gaza lining up for class, 2009]]
[[File:Islamic Uni Gaza.jpg|thumb|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.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t3.aspx Palestinian Population (10 Years and Over) by Locality, Sex and Educational Attainment] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119062953/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t3.aspx |date=19 November 2008 }} [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS).</ref>

In 2006, there were 210 schools in Gaza; 151 were run by the [[Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education|Education Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority]], 46 were run by the [[United Nations Relief and Works Agency]], and 13 were private schools. A total of 154,251 students were enrolled and 5,877 teachers were employed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mohe.gov.ps/downloads/pdffiles/statisticE.pdf |title=Statistics About General Education in Palestine |access-date=24 April 2008 |publisher=[[Education Minister of the Palestinian National Authority]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529042912/http://www.mohe.gov.ps/downloads/pdffiles/statisticE.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The currently downtrodden economy has affected education in the Gaza Strip severely. In September 2007, a UNRWA survey in the Gaza Strip revealed that there was a nearly 80% failure rate in schools grades four to nine, with up to 90% failure rates in mathematics. In January 2008, 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.<ref name="Oxfam" />

=== 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.<ref>[http://www.iugaza.edu.ps/en/About/Facts.aspx Facts About IUG] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401222405/http://www.iugaza.edu.ps/en/About/Facts.aspx |date=1 April 2012 }} [[Islamic University of Gaza]] Official Website.</ref> 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, Gaza|Nasser District]]. In 2006–07, it had an enrollment of 3,778 students.<ref>[http://www.qou.edu/homePage/english/index.jsp?pageId=176 Gaza Educational Region] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703235239/http://www.qou.edu/homePage/english/index.jsp?pageId=176 |date=3 July 2009 }} [[Al-Quds Open University]].</ref>

=== Public library ===
The Public Library of Gaza is located off [[Wehda Street]] and has a collection of nearly 10,000 books in Arabic, English and French. A total area of about {{convert|1410|m2}}, the building consists of two floors and a basement. The library was opened in 1999 after cooperation dating from 1996 by Gaza under mayor Aoun Shawa, the municipality of [[Dunkirk]], 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://74.125.45.101/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.mogaza.org/centers-library.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGaza%2BMunicipality%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DE5j%26pwst%3D1&usg=ALkJrhjTkA9I7j9liOYc90GIppOKptX9cg |title=The municipal public library |publisher=Gaza Municipality}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

On 27 November 2023, the Public Library was destroyed by Israeli airstrike.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 November 2023 |title=Gazans mourn loss of their libraries: Cultural beacons and communal spaces |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/30/gaza-library-palestinian-culture/ |access-date=3 September 2025 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 }}</ref>

== Landmarks ==
{{See also|Destruction of cultural heritage during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip}}
[[File:مجموعة صور لقطاع غزة قبل الحرب الأخيرة 01.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Great Mosque of Gaza|Great Mosque]] in 2021, before the Israeli bombing of 2023]]
Landmarks in Gaza include the [[Great Mosque of Gaza|Great Mosque]] in the Old City. Originally a pagan temple, it was consecrated a Greek Orthodox church by the Byzantines,<ref>Jacobs, 1998, p.451</ref> 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.<ref name="Sheehan" /> It is the oldest and largest in the Gaza Strip.<ref>Porter and Murray, 1868, p.250.</ref> In 2023, at the beginning of the [[Gaza war]], it was destroyed by the [[Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip]], leaving most of the structure collapsed and the minaret partially destroyed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 December 2023 |title=Images show major damage to Gaza's oldest mosque |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67664853 |access-date=9 December 2023 |work=BBC |language=en-GB }}</ref>
[[File:Saed Hashem Mosque.jpg|thumb|The [[Sayed al-Hashim Mosque]] in 2017. It was damaged as a result of an Israeli airstrike in October 2023, during the [[Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Saber |first=Indlieb Farazi |date=14 January 2024 |title=A 'cultural genocide': Which of Gaza's heritage sites have been destroyed? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/14/a-cultural-genocide-which-of-gazas-heritage-sites-have-been-destroyed |access-date=22 March 2024 |website=[[Al Jazeera]] |language=en }}</ref>]]
Other mosques in the Old City include the Mamluk-era [[Sayed al-Hashim Mosque]] that believed to house the tomb of the Islamic prophet [[Mohammed]]'s great-grandfather, [[Hashim ibn Abd Manaf|Hashim ibn Abd al-Manaf]], in its dome.<ref>[http://www.webgaza.net/gaza_strip/tour/Sayyed_Hashem_Mosque.htm Sayyed Hashem Mosque] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224122300/http://www.webgaza.net/gaza_strip/tour/Sayyed_Hashem_Mosque.htm|date=24 December 2008}} Web Gaza.</ref> The building was damaged by an Israeli airstrike in October 2023, during the [[Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip]].<ref name=":2" /> There is also the nearby [[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]],<ref name="Sharon31" /> which was built in 1324 and houses the tomb of Ali ibn Marwan, a holy man.<ref name="MET" />

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,<ref>Jacobs, 1998, p.455.</ref> until a public garden was built there with funding from Norway.
[[File:قصر_الباشا_في_غزة.jpg|left|thumb|The palace of [[Qasr al-Basha]] in 2016, before its destruction in 2024]]
[[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. It was destroyed in the [[Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip|Israeli invasion of Gaza]] in 2024.<ref name="pics">{{Cite news |date=11 January 2024 |title=Destruction of the Palestinian cultural heritage of Gaza – in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2024/jan/11/palestinian-cultural-heritage-gaza-destruction-in-pictures |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305200812/https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2024/jan/11/palestinian-cultural-heritage-gaza-destruction-in-pictures |archive-date=5 March 2024 |access-date=26 June 2024 |work=the Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=24 February 2024 |title=قصر الباشا.. بقي قائما من العصر المملوكي حتى هدمته إسرائيل |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/encyclopedia/2024/2/24/%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%A7-%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A3%D8%AB%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84 |access-date=28 December 2024 |website=Al Jazeera Arabic |language=ar }}</ref>
[[File:Gaza_War_Cemetery_3.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Gaza War Cemetery|World War I Cemetery in Gaza]] in 2009. It was damaged by Israeli army at the start of the [[Gaza war]] in 2023.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Greene |first=Andrew |date=22 July 2024 |title=Satellite imagery reveals extent of destruction of Commonwealth war graves in Gaza |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-22/satellite-commonwealth-war-grave-gaza-damage/104126386 |access-date=13 July 2025 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU }}</ref>]]
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 {{convert|1.5|km|0|abbr=on}} northeast of the city center, in the Tuffah district, near [[Salah al-Din Road]].<ref name="Sheehan" /><ref>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/71701 Gaza War Cemetery] at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission</ref> The cemetery has been damaged by Israeli army in the early stages of the [[Gaza war]] in 2023.<ref name=":3" />
[[File:Saint Porphyrius Church, Gaza City.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Church of Saint Porphyrius]] in 2022]]
The [[Church of Saint Porphyrius]], a [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]] church, oldest active church in the city and the third oldest church in the world. On 19 October 2023, part of the church was damaged during an [[Church of Saint Porphyrius airstrike|Israeli airstrike]], killing at least 18 civilians of the 450 [[Christian]] and [[Muslim]] [[Palestinians|Palestinian]] residents of the [[Gaza Strip]] that had been sheltering there.<ref name="AIT">{{cite web |date=20 November 2023 |title=Israel/OPT: 'Nowhere safe in Gaza': Unlawful Israeli strikes illustrate callous disregard for Palestinian lives |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/11/israel-opt-nowhere-safe-in-gaza-unlawful-israeli-strikes-illustrate-callous-disregard-for-palestinian-lives/ |access-date=1 December 2023 |work=Amnesty International }}</ref>

== Infrastructure ==
{{See also|Water supply and sanitation in the Palestinian territories}}

=== Water supply and sanitation ===
According to the 1997 census by the [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]], 98.1% of Gaza's residents were connected to the public [[right to water|water supply]] while the remainder used a private system.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t9.aspx Occupied Housing Units by Locality and Connection to Water Network] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119063118/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t9.aspx |date=19 November 2008 }} [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS).</ref> About 87.6% were connected to a public sewage system and 11.8% used a cesspit.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t11.aspx Occupied Housing Units by Locality and Connection to Sewage System in Housing Unit] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119063038/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t11.aspx |date=19 November 2008 }} [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS).</ref> 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&nbsp;million liters of raw sewage and 40&nbsp;million liters of partially treated water per day flowed into the Mediterranean Sea, and untreated sewage bred insects and mice.<ref>[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.mogaza.org/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGaza%2BMunicipality%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DE5j%26pwst%3D1 The outcome of the unjust embargo on the work of the municipal] Gaza Municipality.</ref>
As a "water-poor" country, Gaza is highly dependent on water from [[Wadi Gaza|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.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Clive |last1=Lipchin |first2=Eric |last2=Pallant |first3=Danielle |last3=Saranga |first4=Allyson |last4=Amster |title=Integrated Water Resources Management and Security in the Middle East |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7rgHmpppZ-wC&pg=PA109 |year=2007 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4020-5986-5 |page=109 }}</ref>

=== Power grid ===
In 2002 Gaza began operating its own power plant which was built by [[Enron]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Published: 9 March 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/09/business/enron-sought-to-raise-cash-two-years-ago.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm |title=Enron Sought To Raise Cash Two Years Ago – Page 2 – New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=9 March 2002 |access-date=26 March 2013 }}</ref> However, the power plant was bombed and destroyed by the [[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,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gisha.org/map-item.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=886 |title=Gaza Power Plant |publisher=Gisha.org |date=3 February 2010 |access-date=26 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511000924/http://www.gisha.org/map-item.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=886 |archive-date=11 May 2013 }}</ref> and Israeli electricity continues to be sold to Gaza.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hrxNb6LCkzfJ1ZmMR9zdWnRRCQRg?docId=CNG.a82fa1d6f82deea024bea54c40646347.2b1 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124174419/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hrxNb6LCkzfJ1ZmMR9zdWnRRCQRg?docId=CNG.a82fa1d6f82deea024bea54c40646347.2b1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2013 |title=AFP: Cut Gaza power supply to boost Israel grid: minister |date=13 May 2012 |access-date=26 March 2013 }}</ref>

=== 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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Salemdeeb |first1=Ramy |title=Gaza's Challenge |journal=CIWM |date=2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://zerowastemena.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/gazas-challenge.html |title=Gaza's Challenge |publisher=CIWM journal |date=25 April 2013 |access-date=18 April 2015 }}</ref>

For instance, the scale of damage resulting from [[2014 Israel–Gaza conflict|Operation Protective Edge]] was 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&nbsp;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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gaza-toil-rubble-rami-salem?trk=prof-post |title=Gaza: Toil & Rubble |publisher=CIWM journal |date=16 December 2014 |access-date=18 April 2015 }}</ref> In January 2024, the Israeli army destroyed Gaza City’s main reservoirs, Al-Balad and Al-Rimal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lack of access to clean drinking water is a death sentence for the people of Gaza |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/lack-access-clean-drinking-water-death-sentence-people-gaza-enar |work=[[ReliefWeb]] |date=15 January 2024 }}</ref>

== Health care ==
[[File:Al-Quds hospital, Gaza City, following Israeli shelling.jpg|thumb|[[Al-Quds hospital]], Gaza City, following Israeli shelling in 2009]]
[[Al-Shifa Hospital]] ("the Cure") was founded in the Rimal District by the British Mandate government in the 1940s. Housed in an army barracks, it originally provided quarantine and treatment for [[febrile]] diseases. When Egypt administered Gaza, this original department was relocated and al-Shifa became the city's central hospital.<ref>Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.135.</ref> When Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip after occupying it in the [[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]].<ref name="Husseini" /> Today, al-Shifa remains Gaza's largest medical complex.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=526&CategoryId=23 |title=Al-Shifa Hospital and Israel's Gaza Siege |date=16 July 2006 |publisher=Defence For Children International, Palestine Section |access-date=16 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021083834/http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=526&CategoryId=23 |archive-date=21 October 2009 }}</ref>

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]].<ref name="Husseini">Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.136.</ref>
[[File:Damage in Gaza Strip during the October 2023 - 46.jpg|thumb|[[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.<ref name="AAH">{{cite web |url=http://www.biblelands.org.uk/project_partners/by_location/isr_pal/al_ahli_hospital/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202232549/http://www.biblelands.org.uk/project_partners/by_location/isr_pal/al_ahli_hospital/index.htm |archive-date=2 February 2007 |title=Al Ahli Arab Hospital |publisher=Bible Lands }}</ref> It was rebuilt after the war by the CMS, and in 1955 became the Southern Baptist Hospital.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ampltd.co.uk/digital_guides/cms_section_IX_part_1/Publishers-Note.aspx |title=CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE Section IX: Middle East Missions |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604212509/http://www.ampltd.co.uk/digital_guides/cms_section_IX_part_1/Publishers-Note.aspx |archive-date=4 June 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Husseini and Barnea, 2002, p.34.</ref> In 1982, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem took leadership and the original name was restored.<ref name="AAH" /> 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5521925.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227065935/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5521925.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 February 2011 |title=UN headquarters in Gaza hit by Israeli 'white phosphorus' shells |date=15 January 2009 |work=Times Online |access-date=24 May 2009 |location=London |first1=Sheera |last1=Frenkel }}</ref>

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.<ref name="Oxfam" />

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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/hadassah-at-100-where-no-man-has-gone-before/secret-medical-service.premium-1.469151 |title=Secret medical service |work=[[Haaretz]] }}</ref>

[[Al-Rantisi Hospital]] provides care for children.

== Transportation ==
[[File:Gaza airport 03.jpg|thumb|right|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, [[Salah al-Din Road]] (the modern [[Via Maris]]) runs through the middle of Gaza City, connecting it with Deir al-Balah, [[Khan Yunis]], and Rafah in the south and [[Jabalia]] and [[Beit Hanoun]] in the north.<ref name=autogenerated1>Sheehan, 2000, p.428.</ref> The northern crossing of Salah ad-Din Street into Israel is the [[Erez Crossing]] and the crossing into Egypt is the [[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]].<ref name="Sheehan" /> Prior to the [[Blockade of the Gaza Strip]], there existed regular lines of collective taxis to [[Ramallah]] and [[Hebron]] in the [[West Bank]].<ref name="MOG">[http://www.mogaza.org/gazacity.htm About Gaza City] Gaza Municipality. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620101738/http://www.mogaza.org/gazacity.htm |date=20 June 2008 }}</ref> Except for private cars, Gaza City is served by taxis and buses.

The [[Yasser Arafat International Airport]] near [[Rafah]] opened in 1998 {{convert|40|km|mi}} south of Gaza. Its runways and facilities were damaged by the [[Israeli Defense Forces]] in 2001 and 2002, rendering the airport unusable. In 2010, the tarmac ramp was destroyed by Palestinians seeking stones and recycled building materials.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2010/08/2010815112013994444.html |title=Gazans rip apart airport tarmac |access-date=28 April 2017 }}</ref> The [[Ben Gurion International Airport]] in Israel is located roughly {{convert|75|km|mi}} northeast of the city.<ref name="MOG" />

== International relations ==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Palestinian Territories}}

=== Twin towns and sister cities ===
Gaza is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
* {{flagicon|ISR}} '''[[Tel Aviv]]''', [[Israel]] (1998)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/news/tel-aviv-decides-to-retain-contract-with-gaza-city-as-twin-city-1.238958 |title=Tel Aviv Decides to Retain Contract With Gaza City as Twin City' |date=10 February 2008 |access-date=28 April 2017 |newspaper=Haaretz }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|FRA}} '''[[Dunkirk]]''', France (1996)<ref name="dq-fr">{{cite web |url=http://www.ville-dunkerque.fr/fr/entreprendrea-dunkerque/l-economie/dunkerque-internationale/index.html |title=La Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque a signé des accords de coopération avec |publisher=Hôtel de ville de Dunkerque&nbsp;– Place Charles Valentin – 59140 Dunkerque |access-date=28 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109212344/http://www.ville-dunkerque.fr/fr/entreprendrea-dunkerque/l-economie/dunkerque-internationale/index.html |archive-date=9 November 2007 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|ITA}} '''[[Turin]]''', Italy (1997)<ref name="Turin twinnings">{{cite web |url=http://www.comune.torino.it/relint/inglese/gemellaggieaccordi/index.shtml |title=International Affairs – Twinnings and Agreements |access-date=6 August 2013 |last=Pessotto |first=Lorenzo |work=International Affairs Service in cooperation with Servizio Telematico Pubblico |publisher=City of Torino |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618182559/http://www.comune.torino.it/relint/inglese/gemellaggieaccordi/index.shtml |archive-date=18 June 2013 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|IRN}} '''[[Tabriz]]''', [[Iran]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www5.irna.ir |title=خبرگزاری جمهوری اسلامی |publisher=.irna.ir |access-date=26 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326014735/http://www3.irna.ir/ |archive-date=26 March 2013 }}</ref>
{{col-2}}
* {{flagicon|NOR}} '''[[Tromsø]]''', Norway (2001)<ref name="tc-sc">{{cite web |url=http://www.tromso.kommune.no/index.gan?id=478&subid=0 |title=Vennskapsbyer |publisher=Tromsø kommune, Postmottak, Rådhuset, 9299 Tromsø |access-date=28 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027130749/http://www.tromso.kommune.no/index.gan?id=478&subid=0 |archive-date=27 October 2007 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|POR}} '''[[Cascais]]''', Portugal<ref name="cc-sc">{{cite web |url=http://www.cm-cascais.pt/Cascais/Cascais/Relacoes_internacionais/Cidades_Geminadas/ |title=Cidades Geminadas |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Cascais |access-date=28 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111073847/http://www.cm-cascais.pt/Cascais/Cascais/Relacoes_internacionais/Cidades_Geminadas/ <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=11 November 2007 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|ESP}} '''[[Barcelona]]''', Spain (1998)<ref name="Barcelona">{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/XMLServeis/XMLHomeLinkPl/0,4022,229724149_257215678_1,00.html |title=Barcelona internacional&nbsp;– Ciutats agermanades |publisher=Ajuntament de Barcelona |language=es |access-date=13 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216085914/http://w3.bcn.es/XMLServeis/XMLHomeLinkPl/0%2C4022%2C229724149_257215678_1%2C00.html |archive-date=16 February 2009 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|ESP}} '''[[Cáceres, Spain|Cáceres]]''', Spain (2010)<ref name="Cáceres">{{cite web |url=http://www.elperiodicoextremadura.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=529644 |title=Cáceres prepara su hermanamiento con la palestina Gaza |publisher=© 2010 El Periódico de Extremadura |language=es |access-date=1 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912024546/http://www.elperiodicoextremadura.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=529644 |archive-date=12 September 2010 }}</ref>
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Palestine}}

* [[Gaza genocide]]
* [[List of cities administered by the Palestinian Authority]]
* [[List of rulers of Gaza]]
* [[Outline of the State of Palestine]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC&q=Cities+of+the+Middle+East |first1=J. |last1=Abu-Lughod |author-link1=Janet Abu-Lughod |first2=Michael |last2=Dumper |year=2007 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-919-5}}
* {{cite book |editor=Barron, J.B. |title=Palestine: Report and General Abstracts of the Census of 1922 |url=https://archive.org/details/PalestineCensus1922 |publisher=Government of Palestine |year=1923}}
* {{cite book |title=Christian Gaza In Late Antiquity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lA9VwVwoyiAC |first1=Bruria |last1=Bitton-Askeloni |first2=Arieh |last2=Kofsky |year=2004 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-13868-1}}
* {{cite book |title=Life at the crossroads: a history of Gaza |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WnttAAAAMAAJ&q=Butt+Radwan+Daraj |first1=Gerald |last1=Butt |year=1995 |publisher=Rimal Publications |isbn=1-900269-03-1}}
* {{cite book |title=Groundwater in the Urban Environment: Proceedings of the XXVII IAH Congress on Groundwater in the Urban Environment, Nottingham UK, 21–27 September 1997 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=53IPHH32OgYC |first1=John |last1=Chilton |year=1999 |publisher=Taylor and Francis |isbn=978-90-5410-924-2 |author2=Hydrogeologists, International Association of}}
* {{cite book |first1=Amnon |last1=Cohen |first2=Bernard |last2=Lewis |author-link2=Bernard Lewis |date=1978 |title=Population and Revenue in the Towns of Palestine in the Sixteenth Century |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt13x196g |location= |publisher=Princeton University Press |page= |jstor=j.ctt13x196g |isbn=978-1-4008-6779-0 |access-date=}}
* {{cite book |title=Village Statistics, April, 1945 |url=http://web.nli.org.il/sites/nli/Hebrew/library/Pages/BookReader.aspx?pid=856390 |author=Department of Statistics |year=1945 |publisher=Government of Palestine}} 
* {{cite book |title=Rediscovering Palestine: Merchants and Peasants in Jabal Nablus, 1700–1900 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zry-tpH3rz8C |first=B. |last=Doumani |author-link=Beshara Doumani |year=1995 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0-520-20370-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Dowling |first=Theodore Edward |author-link=Theodore Edward Dowling |date=1913 |title=Gaza: A City of Many Battles (from the family of Noah to the Present Day) |url=https://archive.org/details/gazacityofmanyba00dowlrich |location=London |publisher=S.P.C.K. |page= |isbn=1514878526 |access-date=}}
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* {{cite book |title=Governing Gaza: Bureaucracy, Authority, and the Work of Rule, 1917–1967 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D0bEoa0a_YsC&q=Governing+Gaza |first1=Ilana |last1=Feldman |year=2008 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-4240-3}}
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* {{A History of Palestine, 634–1099}}
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* {{cite book |title=Separate and Cooperate, Cooperate and Separate: The Disengagement of the Palestine Health Care System from Israel and Its Emergence as an Independent System |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7AMWP3oI5IUC&q=Rafiq+Husseini&pg=PR3 |first1=Rafiq |last1=Husseini |first2=Tamara |last2=Barnea |year=2002 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=0-275-97583-5}}
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* {{cite book |title=Israel and the Palestinian territories |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXoY2vCZ5AEC&q=Israel+and+the+Palestinian+territories |first1=Daniel |last1=Jacobs |year=1998 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=978-1-85828-248-0 |author2=Eber, Shirley |author3=Silvani, Francesca}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kennedy |first1=Hugh |title=The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In |url=https://archive.org/details/greatarabconques00kenn_0 |url-access=registration |date=2007 |publisher=Da Capo Press |location=Philadelphia |isbn=978-0-306-81585-0}}
* {{cite book |title=Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500 |url=https://archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lestuoft |first=G. |last=Le Strange |author-link=Guy Le Strange |year=1890 |publisher=Committee of the [[Palestine Exploration Fund]]}}
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{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.mogaza.org/ Municipality of Gaza] 
* [https://x.com/AsemAlnabeh Spokesperson for Gaza Municipality]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=31.513289,34.463425&spn=0.133744,0.240704&t=k Gaza at Google Maps]
* [http://www.gaza-city.org/image/publications/The%20achievements%20of%20the%20municipal%20council%20for%20a%20period%20of%205%20years.pdf The achievements of the municipal council for a period of 5 years (2008–2013) in Arabic] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819130658/http://www.gaza-city.org/image/publications/The%20achievements%20of%20the%20municipal%20council%20for%20a%20period%20of%205%20years.pdf |date=19 August 2014 }}

{{Gaza City}}
{{Gaza Governorate|state=collapsed}}
{{whole Gaza Strip}}
{{Cities in Palestinian National Authority areas}}
{{Ancient states and regions of the Levant}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gaza City| ]]
[[Category:Bronze Age sites in Palestine]]
[[Category:Cities in the Gaza Strip]]
[[Category:Capitals in Palestine]]
[[Category:Gaza Governorate]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible cities]]
[[Category:Philistine cities]]
[[Category:Populated places of the Byzantine Empire]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Palestine]]
[[Category:1929 Palestine riots]]
[[Category:Cities founded by Alexander the Great]]
[[Category:Palestinian Christian communities]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Palestine]]