Siege of Gaza

Gaza ( GAH-zə; Arabic: غَزَّة, romanized: Ġazzah, IPA: [ˈɣazza] ), also called Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of 590,481 (in 2017), making it the largest city in the State of Palestine. Inhabited since at least the 15th century BCE, Gaza has been dominated by different peoples and empires throughout its history. The Philistines made it a part of their pentapolis after the Ancient Egyptians had ruled it for nearly 350 years. Under the Roman Empire Gaza experienced relative peace and its port flourished. In 635 CE, it became the first city in Palestine to be conquered by the Muslim Rashidun army and quickly developed into a center of Islamic law. However, by the time the Crusaders invaded the country starting in 1099, Gaza was in ruins. In later centuries, Gaza experienced several hardships—from Mongol raids to floods and locusts, reducing it to a village by the 16th century, when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. During the first half of Ottoman rule, the Ridwan dynasty controlled Gaza and under them the city went through an age of great commerce and peace. The municipality of Gaza was established in 1893. Gaza fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a 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. Gaza was 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 armed conflict broke out between the Palestinian political factions of Fatah and Hamas, resulting in the latter taking power in Gaza. The Gaza Strip was then subject to an Israeli-led, Egyptian-supported blockade. Israel eased the blockade allowing consumer goods in June 2010, and Egypt reopened the Rafah Border Crossing in 2011 to pedestrians.The primary economic activities of Gaza are small-scale industries and agriculture. However, the blockade and recurring conflicts have put the economy under severe pressure. The majority of Gaza's Palestinian inhabitants are Muslim, although there is also a tiny Christian minority. Gaza has a very young population, with roughly 75% under the age of 25. The city is currently administered by a 14-member municipal council. As of January 2024, as part of the Israel–Hamas war, the Israeli army has bombed large portions of the city and surrounding areas of the Northern Gaza Strip, destroying many buildings and infrastructure. Almost all residents have fled or been evacuated to Southern Gaza, or killed as a result. Therefore, previous recorded or estimated population numbers have become outdated.

Maiuma (also Maiumas or Maiouma) was an ancient town and one of the two ports of Gaza along with Anthedon. Its remains are situated at present-day Rimal near Gaza City, Palestine.

The Battle of Gaza was a military engagement in the Macedonian Empire in 312 BC, during the Wars of the Diadochi. It took place in and around the city of Gaza and saw fighting between the invading armies of Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator and the defending army of Demetrius I of Macedon, son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus. In late 312 BC, Ptolemy launched an invasion into the Levant from Egypt, he marched with 18,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry along the northern edge of the Sinai Peninsula. Receiving timely intelligence, Demetrius recalled his troops from their winter quarters and concentrated them at Gaza. Demetrius' advisors had apparently told him to avoid a military confrontation with Ptolemy and Seleucus, who had more military experience, but he ignored their advice; the conflict ended in a decisive defeat for Demetrius, subsequently enabling the absorption of his controlled territory by Ptolemy and Seleucus.

The Battle of Yaunis Khan, also known as the Battle of Khan Yunis (Turkish: Han Yunus Muharebesi), was fought on October 28, 1516 between the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate. The Mamluk cavalry forces led by Janbirdi al-Ghazali attacked the Ottomans that were trying to cross Gaza on their way to Egypt. The Ottomans, led by Grand Vizier Hadım Sinan Pasha, were able to break the Egyptian Mamluk cavalry charge. Al-Ghazali was wounded during the confrontation, and the left-over Mamluk forces and their commander Al-Ghazali retreated to Cairo.

The Battle of Gaza was a military conflict between Fatah and Hamas that took place in the Gaza Strip from 10 to 15 June 2007. It was a prominent event in the Fatah–Hamas conflict, centered on the struggle for power after Fatah lost the 2006 Palestinian legislative election. The battle resulted in the dissolution of the unity government and the de facto division of the Palestinian territories into two entities: the West Bank governed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and the Gaza Strip governed by Hamas. Hamas fighters took control of the Gaza Strip, while Fatah officials were either taken as prisoners, executed, or expelled. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported that at least 161 people were killed and more than 700 were wounded during the fighting.

Al-Andalusia mall (Arabic: الأندلسية مول) is a three-story shopping mall in Gaza City. It was the city's second indoor mall and opened in July 2011. The mall is located just west of Gaza City near Haidar Abdel Shafi Square.

Gaza District was one of the districts of Mandatory Palestine. In 1939 it consisted of two subdistricts: Beersheba Subdistrict Gaza Subdistrict

The Gaza Governorate (Arabic: محافظة غزة, romanized: Muḥāfaẓat Ġazza), also alternatively known as Gaza City Governorate, is one of the 16 Governorates of Palestine, located in the north central Gaza Strip. Gaza is claimed by the State of Palestine, but the land is under the control of Hamas, while its border with Israel, airspace and maritime territory are controlled by the IDF. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the district's population was 505,700 in 2006. All of its seats were won by Hamas members in the 2006 parliamentary elections. It is governed by Mohammed Qadoura. The governorate consists of one city, three towns and a number of refugee camps.

The Gaza Mall (Arabic: مركز غزة للتسويق) is Gaza’s first shopping mall. It opened in Gaza City, State of Palestine, on the 17th of July 2010. It is the first mall that has been opened since the 2007 Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip.The air-conditioned, indoor shopping venue in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza extends over 19,000 sq. ft. There are two floors with shops offering international brands. The Independent reported that the mall was built at a cost of $1.5 million, while Agence France-Presse reported $3 million.

The Abu Khadra Mosque (Arabic: مسجد أبوخضرة) is a mosque located in Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, Palestine. Its located 1661.48 km away from Mecca.

Palestine Stadium (Arabic: ملعب فلسطين) is located in Gaza City on the Gaza Strip. It is the national stadium and the home of Palestine national football team. The stadium's capacity is around 10,000.It was bombed by Israel on April 1, 2006, directly on the centre spot, which made the stadium unusable due to the crater formed. FIFA announced that it would fund the repair work. It was again bombed on November 19, 2012, by the Israeli Defence Force as part of Operation Pillar of Cloud. Israel said that the latest bombing was due to its use by Hamas militants to launch rockets targeting Israel. The stadium and a nearby indoor sports hall suffered major damage and resulted in football players from around the globe releasing a signed petition.As of 2019, the stadium had been repaired by FIFA and has hosted several events, both in the indoor sports halls and the outdoor field. During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war the stadium would again be targeted by Israeli airstrikes leaving it inoperable as the Palestinian national team seeks to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The national team will use the Sharjah Stadium in the United Arab Emirates as their new home venue.

Yarmouk Stadium is an association football stadium in Gaza City on the Gaza Strip. Yarmouk Stadium is one of the oldest Palestinian stadiums. It was opened in 1952 under Egyptian rule and was restored under the direct supervision of the Municipality of Gaza. It is the home stadium of the Gaza Sports Club. The stadium seats 9,000 spectators.