Gaza
The Gaza Strip is a narrow Palestinian coastal territory on the Mediterranean, bordering Israel and Egypt. About 365 sq km with roughly two million residents, it is one of the world's most densely populated areas.
Gaza, or the Gaza Strip, is a coastal Palestinian territory roughly 41 km long and 6–12 km wide, totaling about 365 sq km. Bordering Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean, it holds about two million people, most of them Palestinian refugees and descendants, making it among the most densely populated places on Earth.
Israel captured Gaza from Egypt in the 1967 war. Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, parts came under the Palestinian Authority. In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew its settlements and forces (the "disengagement"). After Hamas — designated a terrorist organization by the US, EU and Israel — won 2006 elections and forcibly took control in 2007, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade.
Following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, a prolonged war devastated the territory. As of June 2026 a fragile US-brokered ceasefire holds amid disputes over Hamas disarmament, partial Israeli control and reconstruction overseen by a US-led "Board of Peace." Governance and final status remain contested.