A look at Gaza, the 140-square-mile strip at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Gaza Strip, one of the smallest territories in the world, may soon become a bloody battleground as Israeli Defense Forces strike back against Hamas for its brutal, hostage-taking attack on Israel.
Gaza is at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian hostility, which has existed since the creation of Israel in 1948. The confrontation going on now is another in a long history of Middle Eastern disputes among Israelis, Palestinians, and others.
USA TODAY looks at this tiny Palestinian enclave, its people, and its place in the ongoing conflict.
What is Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip?
The Gaza Strip comprises just under 140 square miles of relatively flat coastal plain bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is central to the conflict involving Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian territories and various regional actors. Urban areas, refugee camps, border crossings and high-risk areas as defined by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs can be seen in the map above.
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How big is the Gaza Strip?
Gaza's area is slightly greater than twice the size of Washington, D.C. It is home to 2.3 million people in 139 square miles, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Where is Gaza? What countries border the territory?
Gaza borders Israeli territory on its northeastern and southeastern sides and Egypt to its southwest. To its west, Gaza abuts the Mediterranean Sea.
Who lives in Gaza? How many people live in the Gaza Strip?
At least 2.23 million people live in the Gaza Strip, according to the U.N., many of them displaced after leaving or being driven from Israel during its War of Independence and subsequent conflicts. Gaza is often described as one of the world's most densely populated areas, but population density varies across the territory. There are roughly an even number of women and men living there.
With 42,059 people per square mile, Gaza City is the 63rd-most densely inhabited urban region in the world. At least eight Palestinian refugee camps lie in the Gaza Strip and have some of the highest population densities in the world, according to the U.N.
Who controls Gaza?
Hamas is the largest Palestinian militant group and has fired rockets from Gaza at Israeli cities in the fighting. It was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and hasand has controlled Gaza since winning elections in 2006, then wresting militarily control from another leadership group in 2007. It's committed to the destruction of Israel and is considered a terrorist group by the U.S., the U.K. and other nations.
What does it mean when people say Gaza is blockaded, or under siege? What is it like to live there?
According to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the socioeconomic situation in Gaza has been in steady decline for more than a decade. Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have made living conditions extremely difficult. Israel prevents all access to and from the Gaza Strip by sea and air. Movement of people and goods is restricted to three crossings: Rafah crossing, controlled by Eqypt, and Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings, controlled by Israel.
Sixty-three percent of the population of Gaza is considered food-insecure, and 81% are living in poverty. Access to clean water and electricity were at crisis levels even before this month's hostilities. The U.N. secretary-general says the blockade and related restrictions contravene international humanitarian law because they target and impose hardship on the civilian population, effectively penalizing them for acts they have not committed.
Sources: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA OPT Information Management Unit, Jewish Virtual Library, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, USA TODAY research
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