MIDDLE EAST EYE
Home to almost two million Palestinians, the majority of whom are long-term refugees, Gaza is one of the most crowded places on Earth
1. Where is Gaza?
Gaza is home to almost two million Palestinians, the majority of whom are long-term refugees (a further 3.25 million Palestinians live in the West Bank). It’s been run by Hamas since elections in 2007: the group is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and the EU among others. The West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority, which is currently controlled by Fatah, rivals of Hamas. It is one of the most crowded places in the world. But the Israeli blockade means that residents find it tough, if not impossible, to leave.
2. The event that changed Palestinians
The dominant event for Palestinians in Gaza during the past century has been the Nakba of 1948, when hundreds of thousands were driven from, or else fled, their homes in what is now modern-day Israel as the state came into existence. The right of return to ancestral homes (or “Haq al-Awda”) is the over-riding long-term priority for many Palestinians: it forms part of United Nations resolution 194.
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