History of Gaza

The history of Gaza is very old, going back more than 5,000 years. Gaza has been ruled by many different groups because of its important location where two old trade routes met, the Via Maris and the Perfume route. Many people and goods from around the Old World passed through Gaza for thousands of years.

The Old Town of Gaza (1862–1863). Picture by Francis Frith

At first, Gaza was a busy place for the Canaanite people and later came under control of the ancient Egyptians. It became an important city in the land of the Philistia. Later, Alexander the Great took over the city and many people were killed or captured. After that, Gaza changed hands many times between different rulers.

In more recent times, Gaza faced big challenges. It was damaged by earthquakes in 1903 and 1914. During World War I, British forces took control of the city. In the middle of the 20th century, many people moved to Gaza, and it became a key place in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Even though it has faced hard times, Gaza still has many people living there today.

Bronze Age

Tell es-Sakan

Map of Wadi Gaza in the Palestine Exploration Fund Survey of Western Palestine (1888) showing the position of Tell el-Ajjul. Tell es-Sakan is located 500 meters to the north of it and not pictured because it was only discovered by accident in 1998. The location of Tell Jemmeh is also indicated on the southern side of the wadi.

The earliest towns in the area of Gaza date back to around 3400 BCE at Taur Ikhbeineh. Not long after, around 3300 to 3000 BCE, another town called Tell es-Sakan appeared just south of today’s Gaza City. It started as a small fort built by the Ancient Egyptian. Archaeologists believe there were three areas where Egyptians lived in Gaza and nearby lands: a main town with Tell es-Sakan as its center, smaller seasonal camps along the coast, and trading spots with local Canaanite people. Tell es-Sakan grew when Canaanite towns traded crops with Egypt, but its importance dropped when Egypt focused more on trading cedar wood from Lebanon. The town was mostly deserted during the Early Bronze Age II.

Later, around 2500 BCE, people began to return to Tell es-Sakan, but by 2250 BCE, many towns in the area were left empty. In their place, small groups of people lived in simple camps.

Tell el-Ajjul

Items from the Tell el-Ajjul gold hoards, including the pendant thought to depict Astarte, housed in the collection of the British Museum

Another town called Tell el-Ajjul grew up near the Wadi Ghazza river, close to a smaller place named al-Moghraqa. Burials at Tell el-Ajjul were similar to those at Taur Ikhbeineh. Over 500 stone stamps, called scarabs, were found here. These were made by local Canaanite craftsmen and dated to between the Twelfth and Fifteenth rulers of Egypt. Some stamps even had the names of Egyptian kings like Amenemhat II or leaders from the Canaanite Hyksos, such as Yakbim Sekhaenre and Apepi.

Excavations also uncovered a rich collection of gold jewelry showing both Egyptian and Syrian styles, along with local Canaanite beliefs. One gold pendant shows a goddess figure, likely Astarte, similar to finds in northern Syria. Many of these treasures ended up in the British Museum.

Scarab seal of Yakbim Sekhaenre from Tell el-Ajjul, now likely in the Petrie Museum

During a later time called the Middle Bronze Age, Tell es-Sakan became just a small fort. It had a brief comeback around 1650 BCE when Egypt was partly ruled by these Canaanite Hyksos leaders, but it was destroyed about a hundred years later.

Another key site for learning about Gaza’s past is Tell el-Jemmeh, located further inland on a small hill. It was home to the Canaanite town of Yurza and was lived in from the Bronze Age until a much later time.

Geometric carvings on bone, discovered in Tell es-Sakan, dated to between 2700 and 2350 BCE
Sketches of some designs inscribed on more than 500 scarabs found in Tell el-Ajjul in excavations by Flinders Petrie
Figurine of a frog carved from limestone found in Tell es-Sakan and dated to the 4th millennium BCE
Relief from the tomb of Inti at Dishasha. A walled settlement is depicted on the right that Pierre de Miroschedji suggests may be Tell es-Sakan.
A wall excavated in Tell es-Sakan

Five Amarna letters on display at the British Museum, London

The name Gaza enters history

The city we now call Gaza began to grow around Tell el-Ajjul between 1700 and 1600 BCE. In the mid-1500 BCE, an Egyptian ruler named Ahmose I captured a strong enemy town called Sharuhen, which some think was Tell el-Ajjul, after a long siege. Egypt then made Gaza an important place again, and Tell el-Ajjul became a town once more around 1500 BCE.

During this time, the name Gaza started appearing in records from Egypt and Assyria. Gaza was a key stop for travelers and traders moving between Egypt and faraway lands. Ancient writings on the walls of a temple in Egypt tell of a ruler named Tuthmosis III reaching “That-Which-The Ruler Seized, [of which the Syrian name is] Gaza” during his battles.

Gaza is also written about in old letters called the Amarna letters, where it is called "ḫazzatu". These letters show that Gaza was the main city in southern Canaan and where the Egyptian leader lived. A leader named Abdi-Heba complained that Jerusalem did not get as much help from Egypt as Gaza did.

In an Egyptian book used to teach writing, called the Papyrus Anastasi I, Gaza is mentioned again. The book makes fun of someone named Amenemope by asking if he knows how far Gaza — the last stop — is from Rafah. The book also calls Gaza “the town of the Canaan”, showing how important it was in that area.

Iron Age

Early Iron Age sites near Gaza City have been studied by archaeologists, revealing rich finds from the Ramessid era, such as the Deir el-Balah sarcophagi. Many of these coffins were later moved to museums.

Gaza became one of five important Philistine city-states, each with its own king. For about 550 years, Gaza enjoyed some independence, even while larger empires like Egypt and Assyria ruled over it.

Canaanite sarcophagi from Deir al Balah on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

The Hebrew Bible tells stories about Gaza, including where Samson was held. Prophets Amos and Zephaniah spoke of Gaza possibly being left empty.

Under the rule of Assyria, Gaza was very important because of its location near Egypt and its role in trade. When Assyrian leaders invaded Gaza in 734 BCE, the king, Hanunu, fled to Egypt but later returned to rule under Assyrian control.

During the time of Persia, Gaza flourished and began making its own coins. The city was a busy trade center, with many goods passing through its port.

Hellenistic period (330 BCE - 63 BCE)

Gaza was known in Greek as Γάζα, a word that also meant "treasure" in Greek. This shows Gaza was an important place.

Alexander the Great besieged Gaza for five months in 332 BCE. After a long fight, the city was captured. Alexander then brought new people to live there and made it a polis, or city-state. Greek culture grew in Gaza, and it became known for learning and philosophy.

The Ptolemaic kingdom and the Seleucids fought over Gaza. In 217 BC, they had a big battle called the Battle of Raphia. Later, the Seleucids took control after the Battle of Panium in 200 BCE.

Gaza made its own coins with images of gods and messages in Greek, showing its special status. The Kingdom of Nabataea used Gaza as a port for trade, bringing goods from far away.

Roman Palestine

Byzantine period

Gaza was an important port during the Byzantine period, along with other key cities like Antioch, Alexandria, and Beirut. It was shown on a famous old map called the Madaba Map. Gaza’s area included towns like Bethelea, Asalea, Gerarit, and Kissufim.

The Byzantine Empire changed how it organized its areas, and Gaza became part of Palaestina Prima, with its main city at Caesarea Maritima.

During this time, Christianity grew in Gaza. Early on, Christian people faced hard times, but later, important leaders helped the community become stronger. Gaza became a center for learning and religion, with many scholars and leaders. The city also became a place for people to travel to visit the Sinai Peninsula.

Gaza was a busy trade place, especially for goods like wine and silk. The city’s port was very important for sending goods across the sea. One special product was Gaza wine, grown near the city and sent all over the Mediterranean in special jars called Gaza jars. Gaza was also known for making fine silk clothes.

Early Muslim period

Before Gaza became part of the Muslim world, some of its Greek-speaking Christian people had already started to follow Islam. Important Arab traders, including Umar ibn al-Khattab, who later led the Islamic Caliphate, lived in Gaza. The prophet Muhammad visited the city several times before he became a leader.

In 634, Muslim forces surrounded Gaza after winning a battle nearby. After a long siege, they captured the city in 637. The Muslim army did not harm the people of Gaza, but they did take control of the area. Gaza became an important place for writing Islamic law and for trading, though it faced challenges from time to time.

Crusader/Ayyubid period

The Crusaders took control of Gaza from the Fatimids in 1100. They found it empty and in ruins. King Baldwin III built a small castle there in 1149 because they couldn’t fully rebuild the city’s walls. He gave the area to the Knights Templar and changed the Great Mosque into a cathedral.

Later, an Arab traveler noted that Gaza had grown and was under Crusader control. In 1170, King Amalric I moved the Templars to fight against a force led by Saladin. Saladin attacked Gaza instead, destroying the town outside the castle and its people. Years later, after other battles, Saladin destroyed Gaza’s walls in 1191. Richard the Lionheart later rebuilt them, but they were taken down again by a treaty in 1193.

In the early 1200s, Gaza was a medium-sized city with gardens and a seashore. The Ayyubids added a new neighborhood called Shuja’iyya, expanding the city beyond its old walls.

Mamluk period

The rule of the Ayyubids ended in 1260 when the Mongols led by Hulagu Khan destroyed Gaza. After being called back due to the death of their emperor, Mamluk leader az-Zahir Baybars pushed the Mongols out of Gaza and defeated them again at Ain Jalut in 1260. Baybars became sultan of Egypt after this victory. He passed through Gaza many times between 1263 and 1269 during his campaigns.

Mamluk control began in 1277, with Gaza starting as a small village near Ramla. In 1279, Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun stayed in Gaza for fifty days while marching against the Mongols.

Gaza Governorate (est. 1293)

In 1293, an-Nasir Muhammad, son of Qalawun, made Gaza the capital of its own province, called Mamlakat Ghazzah. This area stretched from Rafah in the south to parts near Samaria and the Hebron Hills in the east, including towns like Qaqun, Ludd, and Ramla.

An earthquake in 1294 damaged Gaza, and the Mongols destroyed it again five years later. In 1300, the Syrian geographer al-Dimashqi described Gaza as rich with trees, comparing it to beautiful fabric spread over the land.

Emir Baibars al-Ala'i governed Gaza from 1307 to 1310. Later, Emir Sanjar al-Jawli became governor in 1311 and helped Gaza grow. He built a horse-race track, a college, a mosque, a place for travelers, a hospital, and a castle. In 1348, a disease called the bubonic plague reached Gaza, and a rare flood hit the city in 1352. By 1355, traveller Ibn Battuta visited and found Gaza to be large and full of people with many mosques.

In the 1380s, a governor named Akbugha as-Safawi made a bad plan against the sultan, but it was discovered. Later, Gaza was taken without fighting by another leader, Emir Yalbugha al-Umari. The former sultan regained his power in 1389 and took Gaza back the next year. A fortified building called Barquq Castle was built south of Gaza City during this time.

In 1401, locusts destroyed Gaza’s crops. A battle happened there in 1401 between two Mamluk leaders. Between 1428 and 1433, Emir Sayf ad-Din Inal governed Gaza before becoming sultan in 1453. In 1455, a school called the Madrasa of Birdibak was built in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood.

Ottoman period

In 1516, Gaza became part of the Ottoman Empire. The city was small, with an inactive port and ruined buildings, but the local people welcomed the new rulers. Gaza was divided into districts, and many Christians moved there, making it an important Christian center.

Leaders such as Kara Shahin Mustafa and later the Ridwan family governed Gaza. They built homes and mosques, and the city began to grow again. Later leaders faced challenges, but under Husayn Pasha, Gaza saw peace and prosperity, with new buildings and markets. However, conflicts with nearby groups caused trouble, and eventually, Ottoman officials took control again.

In the 1700s, Gaza experienced changes in leadership. Local tribes brought wealth into the city, and there were revolts against Ottoman rule. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte briefly occupied Gaza but left soon after.

In the early 1800s, Gaza was influenced by neighboring Egypt. An Egyptian leader allowed the people to trade freely. A visitor in 1838 described Gaza as a busy town with rich soil. However, a plague in 1839 caused problems, and battles between Egyptian and Ottoman forces brought more destruction.

The city slowly recovered, with renovations and new leaders. Earthquakes in 1903 and 1914 caused damage, and during World War I, battles were fought near Gaza before it was finally taken by Allied forces.

British Mandate

After the First World War, the League of Nations gave Great Britain control over areas that used to belong to the Ottoman Empire, and Gaza became part of the British Mandate of Palestine.

During a time of trouble in 1929 called the 1929 Palestine riots, the Jewish Quarter of Gaza was destroyed and most Jewish families left the city. In the following years, Gaza grew a lot with new areas like Rimal and Zeitoun being built. Many of these changes were paid for by groups from other countries and missionary groups.

The Gaza War Cemetery is a special place where soldiers from many countries are buried, including many from World War One. Most of the graves are of British soldiers, but there are also soldiers from Australians, India, New Zealand, Canada, Poland, Turkey, and other nations.

Egyptian control

After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Egypt took control of Gaza and the area around it, which became known as the Gaza Strip. Many people moved to Gaza after leaving nearby places that were taken over by Israel. From 1948 to 1959, Gaza was officially part of something called the All-Palestine Government, set up by the Arab League during the war. But this government didn’t really control much and was closed down by Egypt in 1959.

During this time, Egypt made some changes in Gaza, like improving schools and services, building homes, and creating local safety groups. However, people couldn’t take part in politics easily. In 1959, Gaza became part of the United Arab Republic, a group that included Egypt and Syria, though Gaza was really run by Egyptian military leaders. Later, when the Palestine Liberation Organization was created in 1964, Egypt said it would let them lead Gaza, but this didn’t really happen in practice.

Israeli control

Gaza was taken over by Israel in 1967 after the Six-Day War. Israel set up a special military government to manage the areas it had captured, including Gaza. Over time, Israel began building settlements in the Gaza Strip.

There were many conflicts between local people and Israeli forces during this time. In 1987, a big uprising called the First Intifada began in the areas that Israel controlled. Gaza was one of the main places where these confrontations happened.

Palestinian administration

Palestinian Authority

In September 1993, leaders of Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords. This allowed Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho. Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza in 1994, and the new Palestinian Authority (PA) began to govern the area. Led by Yasser Arafat, the PA chose Gaza as its first headquarters. The Palestinian National Council held its first meeting in Gaza in March 1996.

In 2005, Israel withdrew its armed forces and settlements from the Gaza Strip. In 2006, Hamas won elections and took control of Gaza, leading to tensions and conflict.

Hamas takeover and conflict with Israel

Main articles: Gaza Strip under Hamas, Gaza-Israel conflict, and Gaza war

After Hamas took control, Israel blockaded the Gaza Strip, which caused hardship for the people there. Hamas sometimes sent rockets into Israel. In late 2008, Israel entered parts of Gaza to destroy tunnels, leading to a short war. A ceasefire was reached in early 2009.

In 2014, Israel started another war against Hamas to stop rocket attacks. This war caused many deaths and destruction in Gaza.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel, leading to a heavy Israeli response. Israel blockaded and bombed Gaza, ordering many people to leave. The war caused great suffering and destruction in Gaza. After a ceasefire in October 2025, many people returned to find their homes destroyed.