Timeline Description: The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian territory bordered by Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. The site of frequent violence, this Palestinian territory remains occupied by Israeli military forces.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1918 | Occupied by British Formerly under Ottoman rule, the Gaza Strip was under British rule following the end of World War I. |
| 1923 | Ruled by British under Palestinian Mandate(1923 to 1948) From 1923 to 1948, Britain governed the Gaza Strip and all of modern Israel under the Palestinian Mandate. This formalized British rule, and was recognized internationally. |
| September 22, 1948 | All-Palestine Government Near the end of the Arab-Israeli War, Egypt proclaimed the All-Palestine Government in Gaza City. It was recognized by other members of the Arab League, but no one else. |
| February 24, 1949 | Israel-Egypt Armistice The Israel-Egypt Armistice of 1949 defined the boundary line between the Gaza Strip and Israel. It was agreed that this was a boundary, rather than an international border. |
| 1956 | Occupied by Israeli Forces During the Suez Crisis of 1956, Israeli forces occupied the Gaza Strip. International pressure led to the withdrawal of troops, but the All-Palestine government dissolved. |
| 1959 | Egyptian Occupation(1959 to 1967) Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip during the years following the dissolution of the All-Palestine Government. Standards of living declined sharply during this period, and the restrictions on the residents were significant. |
| 1967 | Israeli Occupation In June 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel captured the Gaza Strip. Following the war, the first Israeli sett ements were established in the Gaza Strip. |
| 1979 | Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty In 1979, Israel and Egypt agreed to a peace treaty, but the Gaza Strip was not a consideration. A buffer zone some 100 meters wide and seven miles long was established between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Travel access between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has varied widely since that time. |
| 1994 | Oslo Accords The Oslo Accords, agreements signed between Palestinians and Israelis, provided for substantial Palestinian control of the Gaza Strip, with the exception of Israeli settlement areas. |
| September 2000 | Second Intifada Violence broke out in September 2000 in the Gaza Strip. Rocket attacks and suicide bombings were led by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group. |
| December 2000 | Barrier Constructed(December 2000 to January 2001) Israel built a barrier dividing the Gaza Strip from Israel to reduce the risk of terror attacks. Egypt did the same in 2004. |
| 2005 | Unilateral Withdrawal from Gaza Strip In 2005, Israel forcibly evicted Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip. There were some 9000 residents removed, prior to a withdrawal of all military forces. |
| February 2006 | Palestinian Elections In the Palestinian elections of February 2006, Hamas won a majority. The United Nations required Hamas to accept all past peace agreements, and when the organization refused, cut off international aid. Violence erupted in the Gaza Strip. A short-lived coalition government was formed between Hamas and Fatah. |
| 2007 | Hamas Takeover In 2007, Hamas took over the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip completely. A separate Palestinian government formed in the West Bank. The government operating in the West Bank was recognized as legitimate by the international community. |
| February 2008 | Conflict Intensified The conflict between Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Israel intensified, with more frequent attacks by Hamas on Israeli soil. Israel responded with military action, leading to a significant civilian death toll. |
| December 2008 | Gaza War The military conflict continued, leading to a significant Israeli bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip in December 2008. This was followed by a ground invasion. Homes, hospitals, and agricultural regions were destroyed, leading to food and electricity shortages. |
| July 8, 2014 | Israel-Gaza Conflict On July 8, 2014, Israel again initiated a military action against the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas rocket attacks. The destruction in the Gaza Strip was massive, and civilian deaths were quite high, with some counts suggesting 70 percent of those killed were non-combatants. |