The Gaza Strip is a small piece of land along the Mediterranean coast just north of the Sinai Peninsula. It is roughly 141 square miles and is home to more than 2 million Palestinians who are ethnically Arab; a majority are Sunni Muslim. While historically Gaza was a sleepy outpost of much larger empires, in recent decades it has become an overcrowded hotbed of Islamist ideology destined for disaster.
To understand how Gaza arrived at this volatile crossroads culminating in the atrocities that occurred on October 7, when Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel and massacred more than 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostages into Gaza, we must examine Gaza’s ancient, biblical, and modern history—and key events that led to its instability.
Gaza’s Ancient History and Biblical Overlap
In the late Bronze Age (c. 1500–1200 BC), Gaza—a Canaanite city positioned on the ancient Via Maris (“Way of the Sea”)—was a key stop for trade and military, as it linked Egypt with Mesopotamia. Its location made it a coveted stronghold for many empires. In the twelfth century BC, it became a prominent Philistine city-state, along with Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.
Before and after Philistine rule, Gaza often came under the domination of larger empires, including the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and later, the Persians. Alexander the Great conquered Gaza in 332 BC, which led to the city’s influence by Greek culture. Gaza remained a vital trade hub and regional center under Roman and Byzantine rule.
Gaza is mentioned in several Old Testament passages, including Genesis 10:19, which describes the territory of Canaan, and Joshua 10:41, which describes Joshua’s conquest “from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza.” In Judges 1:18, Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron. But as previously noted, the area became a Philistine stronghold—seen in the story of Samson, who ripped out the city gates and later died in Gaza’s temple (Judges 16).
The prophets also spoke of Gaza. For example, in Amos 1:6–7, Gaza is condemned for exiling entire communities, and Zephaniah prophesied that “Gaza shall be forsaken” (2:4). Zechariah 9:5 says judgment will come against Gaza, which will “be very sorrowful.”
Gaza’s Modern History
After the breakup of the Ottoman Empire in 1917, Gaza was part of the territory of Palestine, put under British Mandate, and intended to be a homeland for the Jewish people. When the British Mandate ended and the State of Israel was formed in 1948, Egypt occupied Gaza and set up an “All Palestine Government” there, headed by the notorious Nazi propagandist and Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini. (A mufti is an Islamic scholar qualified to issue legal opinions or rulings on matters of Islamic law.)
Al-Husseini’s leadership initiated the rise in militant Islamist ideology in Palestinian politics, notably through the formation of the Holy War Army, one of the earliest jihadi militias in the region. Many of the Arab League leaders were increasingly concerned by Al-Husseini’s jihadist movement, and in 1959, Egypt dissolved his radical government and replaced it with Egyptian military rule.
In 1967, the area came under Israeli rule after the Six-Day War, and Jewish communities formed in Gaza even though they required an IDF presence for security. Their farms and greenhouse operations exported fruits and vegetables to several countries.
After the Israeli withdrawal from parts of Judea and Samaria under the Oslo Peace process in the 90s, and the increase of Palestinian violence in the Second Intifada in 2000, Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza, which he did in 2005. This withdrawal is known as the Gaza Disengagement and involved evacuating all Israeli settlements and military presence. To this day, Israel’s exit from Gaza remains one of the most debated decisions in Israel’s modern history, as it not only fueled years of bloodshed—including waves of stabbings, intifada violence, and an 11-day war in 2021—but also laid the groundwork for the atrocities of October 7, Israel’s deadliest day since the Holocaust.
A Terrorist Government
After Israel’s withdrawal in 2005, the US government insisted on parliamentary elections in Gaza, despite Israeli warnings about the volatile political divide in the population. The result was a victory for Hamas—a jihadist terrorist organization—which took a majority of the seats and immediately refused to honor any signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.
The second-largest faction in the Gazan government was Fatah, the ruling party in the West Bank. Civil war broke out between the two factions, and in June 2007, Hamas took control of all of Gaza. Hamas has been accused of war crimes and violations, such as calling for genocide, directing fire at civilians, and using civilians as human shields. The jihadist group has also carried out more attacks against Israeli citizens than any other.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his statement before the Turkel Commission in September 2010: “The Gaza Strip is controlled by a murderous terrorist organization, which acts tirelessly to harm the State of Israel and its residents and which, through its violent actions directed indiscriminately at citizens—men, women, and children—violates every possible rule of international law.”
Backed by Iran
The situation in Gaza was exacerbated by the fact that Iran backed Hamas and provided them with rockets, training, strategic guidance, and financial support, strengthening Hamas’s military infrastructure. This dark union enabled Hamas to escalate its attacks against Israeli civilians, while giving Iran a way to project power and influence in the region—without confronting Israel directly.
Who Is the UNRWA?
Hamas did not care about the people of Gaza and stayed focused on their military plans to destroy Israel. Proof of this is that under Hamas rule, 55 percent of Gazans continued to live as refugees in eight refugee camps run by UNRWA—the UN agency created with the sole mandate of caring for Palestinian refugees. However, rather than resettling them, UNRWA held out false hopes of returning the Palestinians to their ancestral homes, which perpetuated the problem and passed down refugee status from generation to generation. Disturbingly, many UNRWA employees are affiliated with Hamas and have historically hidden weapons in their facilities in Gaza and taught hatred for Jews in their schools—not to mention using the very refugees they are supposed to be helping as political pawns in a campaign against Israel.
Ticking Time Bomb
With a jihadist government, Iranian agitation, and a co-opted UN agency, the situation in Gaza was dire. No one seemed to care that there was a 40 percent unemployment rate, causing thirty-eight percent of Gazans to live below the poverty line.
Living conditions were worsening due to the rapidly increasing population (the area’s growth rate is one of the highest in the world, and continues to increase) and inadequate water, sewage, and electrical services. It is no surprise that at least 70 percent of Gazans wanted to leave Gaza for good.
Intervention Was Needed
There were no quick solutions for the Gaza Strip pre-October 7, and this remains true after almost two years of war. But two steps cannot be ignored. One is to dismantle UNRWA and use the funds for resettling the refugees. The other is to remove Hamas from power and put a civil government in place that actually cares about the people living there and will live in peace with Israel. For the sake of the more than 2 million Gazans living this nightmare, decisive leadership must step in.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/pawel.gaul
_638919941832670018.webp)
%20(5).webp)
