The so called Gaza Strip is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea currently governed by Hamas. It borders Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the north and east. It is about 41 kilometers (25 mi) long, and between 6 and 12 kilometers (4–7.5 mi) wide, with a total area of 360 square kilometers (139 sq mi). The area is not recognized internationally as part of any sovereign country but is claimed by the Palestinian National Authority as part of the Palestinian territories. Since the June 2007 battle of Gaza, actual control of the area is in the hands of the Hamas de facto government.

A Brief History of the Gaza Strip

Israelis of all political persuasions agree that the Gaza Strip is Israel’s physical and political frontier. Its borders are fenced, heavily patrolled by the IDF, with exit only possible through checkpoints and crossing sites. Inside the fence are 1.4 Million Muslim Arabs and nearly 8,000 Jews, crammed into 365 square kilometers of sandy land, with an estimated 25,000 inhabitants per kilometer, and double that in the urban “refugee camps.” Unemployment is high, with many residents hoping to find work within Israel or to tend local greenhouses and farms. Gaza’s street theater can be seen on television almost every day — residents dressed as suicide bombers, waving flags of the various factions, frenzied open-casket funerals, inhabitants crowding cars and buildings that have been “eliminated” by the IAF. Jewish residents recall ghastly acts of terrorism; attacks on a children’s school bus, yeshiva students shot in their dormitory, and old men stabbed in a synagogue. The IDF has paid a heavy toll too — facing anti-tank explosives, urban warfare, and lives have been lost protecting civilian convoys.

Yet ten minutes from Gaza City, there are red-roofed houses, synagogues, and playgrounds, in twenty-one Israeli communities, most in a contiguous area called Gush Katif. This status quo may not be maintained — early this February, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon revealed to Ha’aretz reporter Yoel Marcus that “I’ve given orders to prepare for evacuating — excuse me, relocating — 17 settlements in Gaza with a total of 7,500 inhabitants. These settlements are situated in a region where Jews will not be living in any future agreement.” Sharon-who apparently did not expect to be quoted verbatim, has made several remarks on the future of Gaza, to which Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert added a withdrawal could take place as early as June.

Gaza first appears in the Tanach as a Philistine city, the site of Samson’s dramatic death. Jews finally conquered it in the Hasmonean era, and continued to live there — notable residents include Dunash Ibn Labrat, and Nathan of Gaza, advisor to false messiah Shabtai Zvi. The Jewish population remained there in small numbers until the riots of 1929, and one kibbutz-Kfar Darom was established in 1946. The United Nations 1947 partition plan allotted the coastal strip from Yavneh to Rafiah on the Egyptian border to an Arab state. In Israel’s war for independence, most Arab inhabitants in this region fled or were expelled, settling around Gaza city. Israeli forces conquered Gaza, and proceed south to El-Arish, but subsequently gave control of the area land Egypt in negotiations, keeping Ashdod and Ashkelon. In the 1950′s, Israel settled the Negev with new immigrants, who were attacked by “fedayeen,” terrorists based in Gaza. In 1956, Israel went to war with Egypt, conquered Gaza again, only to return it again. 1967 saw the Six Day War — with Nahal Oz on the Gazan border and the UN’s observer base one of the first sites of fighting. Israeli forces reentered Gaza, and when the war ended, Ariel Sharon became acquainted with the area — it’s restive population and administration. The Labor government decided on the “Five Finger’s Policy” — settlements between Palestinian towns and in the Sinai to prevent contiguous Arab population. Moshavim and yishuvim began to built in the 1970′s attracting religious settlers looking for an ideological community and quality of life sweetened with government benefits. In 1981, as part of a peace treaty with Egypt, the last settlements of the Sinai were destroyed by Sharon, some of whom moved to the Gaza area. Jews and Muslims coexisted for more than a decade but tension rose — and in 1987, a Jewish shopper in the Gazan market was stabbed to death. The next day an Israeli truck accidentally killed four Arabs, sparking the first riots of what would become the Intifada.

These continued for two years, and many of the Israeli soldiers facing urban warfare and mass demonstrations shared the view of Labor leader Yitzchak Rabin z’l, who “wished Gaza would fall into the sea.” Gaza and Jericho were given to a Palestinian administration in 1994 — and the Arab economy benefited, while some violence against Israelis continued. Since 2000, terrorism, from anti-tank missiles and charges, to infiltrations has been daily — 35 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the area, as have 24 civilians, American security for local diplomats, Romanian construction workers, a foreign activists and cameraman, and civilians caught in the crossfire. Settlements are closely defended-but life, depending on roads to the outside world, has been made difficult by the “kassam,” a home-made missile. Over 3,000 mortars have been shot at settlements — causing one death, several injuries, and property damage communities across the Green line in the city of Sderot in nearby kibbutzim. It is feared that larger missiles are on the way-making communities such as Ashkelon and Netivot potential targets.

Ariel Sharon, whose Shikmim farm is close to the Strip, and commonly called the “architect of settlement in Yesha” has had his tactic of unilateral withdrawal is hotly debated — some speculate he is only touting this plan in response to accusations of poor health and political scandals such as Cyril Kern and the Greek Island. Judging from the passion of the current debate, one must consider — as Shinui leader Tommy Lapid did – “he [Sharon] wouldn’t do it and anger the right unless he was serious.” Supporters of Sharon’s plan believe withdrawal will reduce violence in Gaza and save the physical and psychological expenses of soldiers. Opponents believe it won’t because Hamas has vowed never to recognize a Jewish state — even if it withdrew to the ’67 borders.

Gaza’s settlements may be evacuated as early as this summer, depending on such factors as ongoing Palestinian violence, international reactions to unilateral withdrawal, and support for this proposal within the Knesset. If wide support exists, (polls indicate it does), it is likely that a national referendum or Knesset vote would be held assuming there are no protest brought before the Supreme Court. Gush Katif doesn’t enjoy the ideological support as other settlements in Yehuda and Shomron — relying on its one representative, Zvi Hendel, but will likely be the source of a vote of no confidence against Sharon from religious and right-wing nationalist parties. Sharon’s government has not evacuated any populated settlements, though the army has removed several outposts. Even then, a complete Israeli evacuation of Gaza is unlikely — three northern settlements, Alei Sinai, Dugit, and Nisanit will remain, and some settlements in Gush Katif will be converted into military bases. A military presence will be maintained on the Egyptian-Israeli border near Rafiah, a center of weapons smuggling. Gaza’s settlers will be given compensation for their lost homes and property, and offered the chance to move their families to settlement blocs such as Gush Etzion or create new communities in the Negev regions of Halutza and Pitchat Shalom. Moshe Dayan once eulogized a kibbutznik “unlike Samson he could not carry the Gates of Gaza.” It remains to be seen if Israelis will carry this burden.

sources: wiki, yucommentator.com