188-500: Gaza , also called Gaza City , is a city in the Gaza Strip , Palestine. As of 2022, it was the largest city in the State of Palestine, with 590,481 inhabitants in 2017. The city is spread across an area of 45 square kilometres (17 sq mi). Gaza is one of the principal coastal cities in the country, home to Palestine's only port . Located some 76.6 kilometres (47.6 mi) southwest of
376-478: A part of Mandatory Palestine . As a result of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip territory and several improvements were undertaken in the city. Gaza was occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, and in 1993, the city was transferred to the newly created Palestinian National Authority . In the months following the 2006 election, an armed conflict broke out between
564-611: A pentapolis consisting of Gaza , Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath. Whether or not historians are inclined to accept the historicity of the old canonical books of the Hebrew nation, their writers describe a series of conflicts between the Philistines and the Israelites during the period of the Judges , and, allegedly, the Philistines exercised lordship over Israel in the days of Saul and Samuel
752-461: A European-related admixture; this genetic signal is no longer detectable in the later Iron Age population. According to the authors, the admixture was likely due to a " gene flow from a European-related gene pool" during the Bronze to Iron Age transition, which supports the theory that a migration event occurred. Philistine DNA shows similarities to that of ancient Cretans, but it is impossible to specify
940-590: A corruption of the Greek phyle -histia ('tribe of the hearth '), with the Ionic spelling of hestia . Stephanos Vogazianos (1993) states that Jones "only answers problems by analogy and he mainly speculates" but notes that the root phyle may not at all be out of place. Regarding this theory, Israel Finkelstein & Nadav Na'aman (1994) note the hearth constructions which have been discovered at Tell Qasile and Ekron . According to Joshua 13:3 and 1 Samuel 6:17,
1128-603: A distinctive material culture. The English term Philistine comes from Old French Philistin ; from Classical Latin Philistinus ; from Late Greek Philistinoi ; from Koine Greek Φυλιστιειμ ( Philistiim ), ultimately from Hebrew Pəlištī ( פְּלִשְׁתִּי ; plural Pəlištīm , פְּלִשְׁתִּים ), meaning 'people of Pəlešeṯ ' ( פְּלֶשֶׁת ). The name also had cognates in Akkadian Palastu and Egyptian Palusata . The native Philistine endonym
1316-522: A few days, new fighting broke out. On 1 February, Hamas killed 6 people in an ambush on a Gaza convoy which delivered equipment for Abbas' Palestinian Presidential Guard . Fatah fighters stormed a Hamas-affiliated university in the Gaza Strip. Officers from Abbas' presidential guard battled Hamas gunmen guarding the Hamas-led Interior Ministry. In May 2007, new fighting broke out between
1504-496: A geographical region known as Caphtor (possibly Crete/ Minoa ), although the Hebrew chronicles also state that the Philistines were descended from Casluhim , one of the 7 sons of Ham's second son, Miṣrayim . The Septuagint connects the Philistines to other biblical groups such as Caphtorim and the Cherethites and Pelethites , which have been identified with the island of Crete . These traditions, among other things, have led to
1692-628: A hilltop, while its suburbs laid on the nearby plain. The city benefited from trade and commerce because of its strategic position on the caravan route between Egypt and northern Syria as well as from producing soap and cotton for trade with the government, local Arab tribes, and the Bedouin of Wadi Arabah and Ma'an . The bazaars of Gaza were well-supplied and were noted by Robinson as "far better" than those of Jerusalem. Robinson noted that virtually all of Gaza's vestiges of ancient history and antiquity had disappeared due to constant conflict and occupation. By
1880-568: A major cash crop of the city, were exported mainly to Egypt . Because it bordered the desert , Gaza was vulnerable to warring nomadic groups. In 796 it was destroyed during a civil war between the Arab tribes of the area. However, by the 10th century, the city had been rebuilt by the Abbasids ; during Abbasid rule, the Jerusalemite geographer al-Muqaddasi described Gaza as "a large town lying on
2068-617: A major utility for the latter by supplying the country with a large unskilled and semi-skilled workforce. Gaza's agricultural sector was adversely affected as one-third of the Strip was appropriated by Israel, competition for scarce water resources stiffened, and the lucrative cultivation of citrus declined with the advent of Israeli policies, such as prohibitions on planting new trees and taxation that gave breaks to Israeli producers, factors which militated against growth. Gaza's direct exports of these products to Western markets, as opposed to Arab markets,
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#17328445248402256-570: A massacre were reported to the United Nations General Assembly on 15 December 1956 by UNRWA director Henry Labouisse , who reported from "trustworthy sources" that 275 people were killed in the massacre, of which 140 were refugees and 135 local residents. On 12 November, days after the hostilities had ended, Israel killed 111 people in the Rafah refugee camp during Israeli operations, provoking international criticism. Israel ended
2444-599: A military escalation in Gaza partially to prevent exacerbating the humanitarian crisis after the 2021 conflict. A tightened blockade since the start of the Israel–Hamas war has contributed to an ongoing famine . The Gaza Strip is 41 kilometres (25 miles) long, from 6 to 12 km (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide, and has a total area of 365 km (141 sq mi). With around 2 million Palestinians on approximately 365 km (141 sq mi) of land, Gaza has one of
2632-577: A part of the Roman province of Judaea . It was targeted by Jewish forces during their rebellion against Roman rule in 66 and was partially destroyed. It nevertheless remained an important city, even more so after the destruction of Jerusalem during the First Jewish–Roman War . Following this, and again at the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 CE), captives were sold into slavery in Gaza. Throughout
2820-626: A part of their pentapolis after the ancient Egyptians had ruled it for nearly 350 years. Under the Roman Empire , Gaza experienced relative peace and its Mediterranean port flourished. In 635 AD, it became the first city in the Palestine region to be conquered by the Rashidun army and quickly developed into a centre of Islamic law . However, by the time the Crusader states were established in 1099, Gaza
3008-486: A prominent feature of the fighting and mainly targeted Israeli civilians, contrasting with the relatively less violent nature of the First Intifada . With a combined casualty figure for combatants and civilians, the violence is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis, as well as 64 foreigners. Between December 2000 and June 2001, the barrier between Gaza and Israel
3196-782: A result of the Treaty of Ramla agreed upon months later in 1193. Ayyubid rule ended in 1260, after the Mongols under Hulagu Khan completely destroyed Gaza, which became his southernmost conquest. Following Gaza's destruction by the Mongols, Muslim slave-soldiers based in Egypt known as the Mamluks began to administer the area. In 1277, the Mamluks made Gaza the capital of a province that bore its name, Mamlakat Ghazzah (Governorship of Gaza). This district extended along
3384-425: A series of air strikes against targets in Gaza following the breakdown of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas. Israel began a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip on 3 January 2009. Various sites that Israel claimed were being used as weapons depots were struck from the air : police stations, schools, hospitals, UN warehouses, mosques, various Hamas government buildings and other buildings. Israel said that
3572-485: A series of inscriptions in his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu . Scholars have been unable to conclusively determine which images match what peoples described in the reliefs depicting two major battle scenes. A separate relief on one of the bases of the Osiris pillars with an accompanying hieroglyphic text clearly identifying the person depicted as a captive Peleset chief is of a bearded man without headdress. This has led to
3760-426: A shift away from violence towards non-violent forms of protest. Some demonstrators were setting tires on fire and launching Molotov cocktails and rocks toward the troops on the opposite side of the border. Israeli officials said the demonstrations were used by Hamas as cover for launching attacks against Israel. In late February 2019, a United Nations Human Rights Council 's independent commission found that of
3948-642: A strict blockade on Gaza in order to isolate Hamas from Islamist insurgents in the Sinai." In 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and dismantled its settlements. Israel also withdrew from the Philadelphi Route , a narrow strip of land adjacent to the border with Egypt, after Egypt agreed to secure its side of the border after the Agreement on Movement and Access , known as the Rafah Agreement . The Gaza Strip
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#17328445248404136-582: A youth unemployment rate of 70%. Despite this, the area's 97% literacy rate is higher than that of nearby Egypt , while youth literacy is 88%. Gaza has throughout the years been seen as a source of Palestinian nationalism and resistance. Historically part of the Palestine region , the area was controlled since the 16th century by the Ottoman Empire ; in 1906, the Ottomans and the British Empire set
4324-526: Is 11 kilometres (7 miles) long. The First Intifada was a sustained series of protests and violent riots carried out by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. It was motivated by collective Palestinian frustration over Israel's military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as it approached a twenty-year mark, having begun after Israel's victory in
4512-526: Is a large, well-constructed building covering 240 square metres (2,600 sq ft), discovered at Ekron. Its walls are broad, designed to support a second story, and its wide, elaborate entrance leads to a large hall, partly covered with a roof supported on a row of columns. In the floor of the hall is a circular hearth paved with pebbles, as is typical in Mycenaean megaron hall buildings; other unusual architectural features are paved benches and podiums. Among
4700-508: Is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea ; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories , the other being the West Bank , that make up the State of Palestine . Inhabited by mostly Palestinian refugees and their descendants , Gaza is one of the most densely populated territories in the world . Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on
4888-452: Is debate among interpreters as to whether Genesis 10:13-14 was intended to signify that the Philistines were the offspring of the Caphtorim or Casluhim. Some interpreters, such as Friedrich Schwally , Bernhard Stade , and Cornelis Tiele have argued for a third, Semitic origin. According to rabbinic sources, the name Philistines designated two separate groups; those said to descend from
5076-516: Is diverted into Israel. The Gaza Aquifer along the coast is the main aquifer in the Gaza Strip and it consists mostly of Pleistocene sandstones. Like most of the Gaza Strip, Gaza is covered by quaternary soil; clay minerals in the soil absorb many organic and inorganic chemicals which has partially alleviated the extent of groundwater contamination. A prominent hill southeast of Gaza, known as Tell al-Muntar, has an elevation of 270 feet (82 m) above sea level . For centuries it has been claimed as
5264-428: Is entirely built up on low-lying hills. The municipal jurisdiction of the city today constitutes about 45 square kilometres (17 sq mi). Gaza is 78 kilometres (48 mi) southwest of Jerusalem , 71 kilometres (44 mi) south of Tel Aviv , and 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Rafah . Surrounding localities include Beit Lahia , Beit Hanoun , and Jabalia to the north, and the village of Abu Middein ,
5452-781: Is not entirely certain, although the site of Tell es-Safi , not far from Ekron, is currently the most favoured. The identity of the city of Ziklag , which according to the Bible marked the border between the Philistine and Israelite territory, remains uncertain. In the western part of the Jezreel Valley , 23 of the 26 Iron Age I sites (12th to 10th centuries BC) yielded typical Philistine pottery. These sites include Tel Megiddo , Tel Yokneam , Tel Qiri , Afula , Tel Qashish , Be'er Tiveon, Hurvat Hazin, Tel Risim, Tel Re'ala, Hurvat Tzror, Tel Sham, Midrakh Oz and Tel Zariq. Scholars have attributed
5640-668: Is now Israel. They protested against Israel's land, air and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and the United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel . Most of the demonstrators demonstrated peacefully far from the border fence. Peter Cammack, a fellow with the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , argued that the march indicated a new trend in Palestinian society and Hamas, with
5828-406: Is to be found there, but only Jews make wine. Gaza has a circumference of four miles and no walls. It is about six miles from the sea and situated in a valley and on a hill. It has a population as numerous as the sands of the sea, and there are about fifty (sixty) Jewish householders, artisans. They have a small but pretty Synagogue, and vineyards and fields and houses. They had already begun to make
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6016-577: Is unknown. During the Late Bronze Age collapse , an apparent confederation of seafarers known as the Sea Peoples are recorded as attacking ancient Egypt and other Eastern Mediterranean civilizations. While their exact origins are a mystery, and probably diverse, it is generally agreed that the Sea Peoples had origins in the greater Southern European and West Asian area, including western Asia Minor,
6204-522: The 1948 Palestine war and more specifically the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees fled or were expelled to the Gaza Strip. By the end of the war, 25% of Mandatory Palestine's Arab population was in Gaza, though the Strip constituted only 1% of the land. The same year, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ( UNRWA )
6392-561: The 1967 Arab–Israeli War . The uprising lasted from December 1987 until the Madrid Conference of 1991 , though some date its conclusion to 1993, with the signing of the Oslo Accords . The intifada began on 9 December 1987, in the Jabalia refugee camp of the Gaza Strip after an Israeli army truck collided with a civilian car, killing four Palestinian workers. Palestinians charged that
6580-609: The Aegean " Pelasgians ." Archaeological research to date has been unable to corroborate a mass settlement of Philistines during the Ramesses III era. A Walistina is mentioned in Luwian texts already variantly spelled Palistina . This implies dialectical variation, a phoneme ("f"?) inadequately described in the script, or both. Falistina was a kingdom somewhere on the Amuq plain, where
6768-647: The Aegean , and the islands of the East Mediterranean. Egypt, in particular, repelled numerous attempted invasions from the Sea Peoples, most famously at the Battle of the Delta ( c. 1175 BC), where pharaoh Ramesses III defeated a massive invasion force which had already plundered Hattusa , Carchemish , Cyprus , and the Southern Levant . Egyptian sources name one of these implicated Sea Peoples as
6956-927: The Al-Aqsa compound on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem ; the visit itself was peaceful, but, as anticipated, sparked protests and riots that Israeli police put down with rubber bullets and tear gas. The Second Intifada also marked the beginning of rocket attacks and bombings of Israeli border localities by Palestinian guerrillas from the Gaza Strip, especially by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad movements. High numbers of casualties were caused among civilians as well as combatants. Israeli forces engaged in gunfire, targeted killings , and tank and aerial attacks, while Palestinians engaged in suicide bombings , gunfire, stone-throwing , and rocket attacks . Palestinian suicide bombings were
7144-582: The Amurru kingdom had held sway before it. In 2003, a statue of a king named Taita bearing inscriptions in Luwian was discovered during excavations conducted by German archaeologist Kay Kohlmeyer in the Citadel of Aleppo . The new readings of Anatolian hieroglyphs proposed by the Hittitologists Elisabeth Rieken and Ilya Yakubovich were conducive to the conclusion that the country ruled by Taita
7332-628: The Books of Judges and Samuel . Based on the LXX's regular translation as "foreigners", Robert Drews states that the term "Philistines" means simply "non-Israelites of the Promised Land " when used in the context of Samson, Saul and David. Judges 13 :1 tells that the Philistines dominated the Israelites in the times of Samson, who fought and killed over a thousand. According to 1 Samuel 5 , they even captured
7520-626: The Egypt–Israel peace treaty . Among other things, the treaty provided for the withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had captured during the Six-Day War. The Egyptians agreed to keep the Sinai Peninsula demilitarized. The final status of the Gaza Strip, and other relations between Israel and Palestinians, was not dealt with in the treaty. Egypt renounced all territorial claims to territory north of
7708-716: The Hebrew Bible 's Book of Judges , Gaza was the place where Samson was imprisoned by the Philistines and met his death ( Judges 16:21 ). After being ruled by the Israelites , Assyrians , and then the Egyptians, Gaza achieved relative independence and prosperity under the Persian Empire . Alexander the Great besieged Gaza , the last city to resist his conquest on his path to Egypt, for five months before finally capturing it 332 BC;
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7896-478: The International Court of Justice against Israel. Central Gaza is situated on a low-lying and round hill with an elevation of 14 metres (46 ft) above sea level . Much of the modern city is built along the plain below the hill, especially to the north and east, forming Gaza's suburbs. The beach and the port of Gaza are located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the city's nucleus and the space in between
8084-628: The Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. The general triggers for the unrest are speculated to have been centred on the failure of the 2000 Camp David Summit , which was expected to reach a final agreement on the Israeli–Palestinian peace process in July 2000. Outbreaks of violence began in September 2000, after Ariel Sharon , then the Israeli opposition leader , made a provocative visit to
8272-687: The Jewish Agency's " 11 points in the Negev " plan, in which 11 Jewish villages were built across the Negev in a single night as a response to the Morrison-Grady Plan , which threatened to exclude the Negev from a future Jewish State. In total, between 1967 and 2005, Israel established 21 settlements in Gaza, comprising 20% of the total territory. The economic growth rate from 1967 to 1982 averaged roughly 9.7 percent per annum, due in good part to expanded income from work opportunities inside Israel, which had
8460-510: The Judges . The quantity of Philistine pottery within these sites is still quite small, showing that even if the Philistines did settle the valley, they were a minority that blended within the Canaanite population during the 12th century BC. The Philistines seem to have been present in the southern valley during the 11th century, which may relate to the biblical account of their victory at the Battle of Gilboa . Since Edward Hincks and William Osburn Jr. in 1846, biblical scholars have connected
8648-507: The Levant , for most of its history it served as a key entrepôt of southern Palestine and an important stopover on the spice trade route traversing the Red Sea . Settlement in the region of Gaza dates back to the ancient Egyptian fortress built in Canaanite territory at Tell es-Sakan , to the south of present-day Gaza. The site went into decline throughout the Early Bronze Age II as its trade with Egypt sharply decreased. Another urban center known as Tell el-Ajjul began to grow along
8836-534: The Murasu Archive at Nippur . These records, which link individuals to cities like Gaza and Ashkelon, highlight a continued sense of ethnic identity among the Philistines who were exiled in Babylonia . These instances represent the last known mentions of the Philistines, marking the end of their presence in historical accounts. During the Persian period, the region of Philistia saw resettlement, with its inhabitants being identified as Phoenicians , although evidence for continuity from earlier, Iron Age traditions in
9024-510: The New York Times , men ages 20–29, who are most likely to be militants, are most overrepresented in the death toll. During the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis , the 13-story Hanadi Tower, which contained a political office of Hamas, was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. In 2023, the city was again targeted during the Israel–Hamas war . On 2 November, the siege of Gaza City started. As of January 2024, Israel’s offensive has either damaged or destroyed 70–80% of all buildings in northern Gaza. Gaza
9212-402: The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed a second agreement , extending the Palestinian Authority to most West Bank towns. Between 1994 and 1996, Israel built the Gaza–Israel barrier to improve security in Israel. The barrier was largely torn down by Palestinians at the beginning of the Second Intifada in September 2000. The Second Intifada was a major Palestinian uprising in
9400-462: The Palestinian territories . The mid-1990s Oslo Accords established the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a limited governing authority, initially led by the secular party Fatah until that party's electoral defeat in 2006 to the Sunni Islamic Hamas . Hamas would then take over the governance of Gaza in a battle the next year, subsequently warring with Israel. The restrictions on movement and goods in Gaza imposed by Israel date back to
9588-428: The Peleset together with a people called the Teresh , who sailed "in the midst of the sea". The Teresh are thought to have originated from the Anatolian coast and their association with the Peleset in this inscription is seen as providing some information on the possible origin and identity of the Philistines. The Harris Papyrus, which was found in a tomb at Medinet Habu, also recalls Ramesses III's battles with
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#17328445248409776-427: The Septuagint , the term allophiloi ( Greek : ἀλλόφυλοι ), which means simply "other nations", is used instead of "Philistines". Theologian Matthew Poole suggests that Casluhim and Caphtorim were brother tribes who lived in the same territory. However, the Capthorim enslaved the Cashluhim and their Philistine descendants, forcing the latter to flee to Canaan, according to Amos 9:7. The Torah does not record
9964-411: The Third War of the Diadochi , Ptolemy I Soter defeated Demetrius I of Macedon in a battle near Gaza in 312 BC. In 277 BC, following Ptolemy II 's successful campaign against the Nabataeans the Ptolemaic fortress of Gaza took control of the spice trade with Gerrha and Southern Arabia . Gaza experienced another siege in 96 BC by the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus who "utterly overthrew"
10152-420: The blockade and recurring conflicts have put the economy under severe pressure. The majority of Gaza's Palestinian inhabitants are Muslim , although there is also a Christian minority . Gaza has a very young population, with roughly 75% under the age of 25. The city is currently de facto administered by a 14-member municipal council controlled by Hamas. As of November 2024, as part of the Israel–Hamas war ,
10340-501: The bubonic plague spread to the city, killing the majority of its inhabitants and in 1352, Gaza suffered from a destructive flood, which was rare in that arid part of Palestine. However, when Arab traveller and writer Ibn Battuta visited the city in 1355, he noted that it was "large and populous, and has many mosques." The Mamluks contributed to Gazan architecture by building mosques, Islamic colleges , hospitals, caravansaries , and public baths . The Mamluks allowed Jews to return to
10528-623: The definite article in the Torah. Rabbinic sources state that the Philistines of Genesis were different people from the Philistines of the Deuteronomistic history (the series of books from Joshua to 2 Kings ). According to the Talmud , Chullin 60b, the Philistines of Genesis intermingled with the Avvites . This differentiation was also held by the authors of the Septuagint (LXX), who translated (rather than transliterated ) its base text as "foreigners" ( Koinē Greek : ἀλλόφυλοι , romanized: allóphylloi , lit. 'other nations') instead of "Philistines" throughout
10716-443: The pwrꜣsꜣtj , generally transliterated as either Peleset or Pulasti . Following the Sea Peoples' defeat, Ramesses III allegedly relocated a number of the pwrꜣsꜣtj to southern Canaan , as recorded in an inscription from his funerary temple in Medinet Habu , and the Great Harris Papyrus . Though archaeological investigation has been unable to correlate any such settlement existing during this time period, this, coupled with
10904-412: The refugee camp of Bureij , and the city of Deir al-Balah to the south. The population of Gaza depends on groundwater as the only source for drinking, agricultural use, and domestic supply. The nearest stream is Wadi Ghazza to the south, sourced from Abu Middein along the coastline. It bears a small amount of water during the winter and virtually no water during the summer. Most of its water supply
11092-401: The "men of Gaza" or Ashkelon for roughly 150 years, until they finally lost their distinct ethnic identity. Babylonian ration lists dating back to the early 6th century BC, which mention the offspring of Aga, the ultimate ruler of Ashkelon, provide clues to the eventual fate of the Philistines. This evidence is further illuminated by documents from the latter half of the 5th century BC found in
11280-408: The 15th century BC, and was mentioned in the Amarna correspondence as Āl Ĥazzati and other variant spellings. In Neo-Assyrian sources, reflecting the late Philistine period, it was known as Hāzat . It is clear the name originates from none of these languages, however. Based on the city's modern Hebrew name, עַזָּה ʻAzzā , a common folk etymology insists the name stems from
11468-457: The 1947 United Nations Partition Plan , Gaza was assigned to be part of an Arab state in Palestine but was occupied by Egypt following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Gaza's growing population was augmented by an influx of refugees fleeing or expelled from nearby cities, towns and villages that were captured by Israel. In 1957, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser made a number of reforms in Gaza, which included expanding educational opportunities and
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#173284452484011656-439: The 1956 Suez Crisis (the Second Arab–Israeli war), Israel invaded Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula. On 3 November, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Egyptian and Palestinian forces at Khan Yunis . The city of Khan Yunis resisted being captured, and Israel responded with a heavy bombing campaign that inflicted heavy civilian casualties. After a fierce battle, the Israeli 37th Armored Brigade's Sherman tanks broke through
11844-530: The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, "various international agencies struggled to respond" and American Near East Refugee Aid was founded to help victims of the conflict by providing immediate emergency relief. Subsequent to this military victory, Israel created the first Israeli settlement bloc in the Strip, Gush Katif , in the southwest corner near Rafah and the Egyptian border on a spot where a small kibbutz had previously existed for 18 months between 1946 and 1948. The kibbutz community had been established as part of
12032-454: The 1967 war. Ultimately, the Strip lost 25% (a conservative estimate) of its prewar population between 1967 and 1968. In 1970-1971 Ariel Sharon implemented what became known as a 'five finger' strategy, which consisted in creating military areas and settlements by breaking the Strip into five zones to better enable Israeli occupation, settlement and, by discontinuous fragmentation of the Palestinian zones created, allow an efficient management of
12220-415: The 22-day war. The conflict damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes, 15 of Gaza's 27 hospitals and 43 of its 110 primary health care facilities, 800 water wells, 186 greenhouses, and nearly all of its 10,000 family farms; leaving 50,000 homeless, 400,000–500,000 without running water, one million without electricity, and resulting in acute food shortages. The people of Gaza still suffer from
12408-402: The 489 cases of Palestinian deaths or injuries analyzed, only two were possibly justified as responses to danger by Israeli security forces. The commission deemed the rest of the cases illegal, and concluded with a recommendation calling on Israel to examine whether war crimes or crimes against humanity had been committed, and if so, to bring those responsible to trial. On 28 February 2019,
12596-481: The Arameans' expansion into the Land of Israel on account of his alliance with the southern Philistine kings, as well as with Toi, king of Ḥamath, who is identified with Tai(ta) II, king of Palistin (the northern Sea Peoples). However, the relation between Palistin and the Philistines is much debated. Israeli professor Itamar Singer notes that there is nothing (besides the name) in the recently discovered archaeology that indicates an Aegean origin to Palistin; most of
12784-413: The Ark of the Covenant and held it for several months; in 1 Samuel 6 , the return of the Ark to the Israelites of Beth Shemesh is described. A few biblical texts, such as the Ark Narrative and stories reflecting the importance of Gath, seem to portray Late Iron I and Early Iron II memories. They are mentioned more than 250 times, the majority in the Deuteronomistic history , and are depicted as among
12972-432: The Casluhim were different from those described in the Deuteronomistic history . Deuteronomist sources describe the "Five Lords of the Philistines" as based in five city-states of the southwestern Levant: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath, from Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north. This description portrays them at one period of time as among the Kingdom of Israel 's most dangerous enemies. In
13160-433: The Commission said it had " 'reasonable grounds' to believe Israeli soldiers may have committed war crimes and shot at journalists, health workers and children during protests in Gaza in 2018." Israel refused to take part in the inquiry and rejected the report. Before the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis , Gaza had 48% unemployment and half of the population lived in poverty. During the crisis, 66 children died (551 children in
13348-535: The Egyptians in 609 BC, under Necho II . In 604/603 BC, following a Philistine revolt, Nebuchadnezzar II , the king of Babylon , took over and destroyed Askhelon, Gaza, Aphek, and Ekron, which is proven by archaeological evidence and contemporary sources. Some Philistine kings requested help from the Egyptians but they were ultimately ignored. Following the destruction of the Philistine cities, their inhabitants were either killed or exiled to Mesopotamia . Those exiled continued identifying themselves as
13536-523: The Gaza Strip and removed the thousands of Israelis who had settled in the territory. ( See Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004 .) Since the Israeli withdrawal, Hamas has been engaged in a sometimes violent power struggle with its rival Palestinian organisation Fatah . On January 25, 2006, Hamas won a surprise victory in the elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council ,
13724-725: The Gaza Strip into Israel since 2005, while the Palestinians stated that they were responding to Israel's military incursions and blockade of the Gaza Strip . In January 2009, at least 1,300 Palestinians were killed in the conflict. In November 2012, after a week of conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, a ceasefire brokered by Egypt was announced on November 21. In the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict , 2,205 Palestinians (including at least 1,483 civilians) and 71 Israelis (including 66 soldiers) and one foreign national in Israel were killed, according to UN OCHA . According to an analysis by
13912-519: The Gaza Strip. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded by declaring a state of emergency , dissolving the unity government and forming a new government without Hamas participation. PNA security forces in the West Bank arrested a number of Hamas members. In late June 2008, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan declared the West Bank-based cabinet formed by Abbas as "the sole legitimate Palestinian government". Egypt moved its embassy from Gaza to
14100-504: The Gaza–Egypt border for fear of being kidnapped or harmed. Arab foreign ministers and Palestinian officials presented a united front against control of the border by Hamas. Meanwhile, Israeli and Egyptian security reports said that Hamas continued smuggling in large quantities of explosives and arms from Egypt through tunnels. Egyptian security forces uncovered 60 tunnels in 2007. On 23 January 2008, after months of preparation during which
14288-664: The Great Mosque converted back into a church, the Cathedral of Saint John. In 1154, Arab traveller al-Idrisi wrote that Gaza "is today very populous and in the hands of the Crusaders." In 1187 the Ayyubids , led by Sultan Saladin , captured Gaza and in 1191 destroyed the city's fortifications. Richard the Lionheart apparently refortified the city in 1192, but the walls were dismantled again as
14476-563: The Hebrew root ע-ז-ז ʻayin - zayin - zayin , from which words related to strength and fierceness are derived, but this is unlikely. Before a merger ocurred sometime in Classical Antiquity , the Hebrew letter ע ʻayin stood for two different sounds: a voiced pharyngeal fricative / ʕ /, corresponding to Proto-Semitic * ʻ , and a voiced uvular fricative / ʁ /, corresponding to Proto-Semitic * ġ . The ע in
14664-612: The IDF initiated Operation Brother's Keeper , in which some 350 Palestinians, including nearly all of the active Hamas militants in the West Bank, were arrested. Hamas subsequently fired a greater number of rockets into Israel from Gaza, triggering a seven-week-long conflict between the two sides. It was one of the deadliest outbreaks of open conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in decades. The combination of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes resulted in thousands of deaths,
14852-469: The Israeli army has bombed large portions of the city and surrounding areas of the Northern Gaza Strip, destroying many buildings and infrastructure. Almost all residents have fled or been evacuated to Southern Gaza, or killed as a result. Therefore, previous recorded or estimated population numbers have become outdated. The name Gaza first appears in military records of Thothmes III of Egypt in
15040-473: The Mongols again destroyed all that had been restored by the Mamluks. Syrian geographer al-Dimashqi described Gaza in 1300 as a "city so rich in trees it looks like a cloth of brocade spread out upon the land." Under the governorship of Emir Sanjar al-Jawli , Gaza was transformed into a flourishing city and much of the Mamluk-era architecture dates back to his reign between 1311–1320 and again in 1342. In 1348
15228-592: The Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Achaemenid Empire , and disappeared as a distinct ethnic group by the late 5th century BC. Amos in 1:8 sets the Philistines / ἀλλοφύλοι at Ashdod and Ekron. In 9:7 God is quoted asserting that, as he brought Israel from Egypt , he also brought the Philistines from Caphtor . In the Greek this is, instead, bringing the ἀλλόφυλοι from Cappadocia . The Bible books of Jeremiah , Ezekiel , Amos and Zephaniah speak of
15416-603: The Old City: Bab Asqalan (Gate of Ascalon), Bab al-Darum (Gate of Deir al-Balah), Bab al-Bahr (Gate of the Sea), Bab Marnas (Gate of Marnas), Bab al-Baladiyah (Gate of the Town), Bab al-Khalil (Gate of Hebron), and Bab al-Muntar (Gate of Tell al-Muntar). Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip ( / ˈ ɡ ɑː z ə / ; Arabic : قِطَاعُ غَزَّةَ Qiṭāʿ Ġazzah [qɪˈtˤɑːʕ ˈɣaz.za] ), also known simply as Gaza ,
15604-518: The Oslo Accords, a phased transfer of governmental authority to the Palestinians took place. Much of the Strip came under Palestinian control, except for the settlement blocs and military areas. The Israeli forces left Gaza City and other urban areas, leaving the new Palestinian Authority to administer and police those areas. The Palestinian Authority, led by Yasser Arafat , chose Gaza City as its first provincial headquarters. In September 1995, Israel and
15792-509: The Palestinian Authority , although some aid money was redirected to humanitarian organizations not affiliated with the government. The resulting political disorder and economic stagnation led to many Palestinians emigrating from the Gaza Strip. In January 2007, fighting erupted between Hamas and Fatah . The deadliest clashes occurred in the northern Gaza Strip. On 30 January 2007, a truce was negotiated between Fatah and Hamas. After
15980-528: The Palestinian political factions of Fatah and Hamas , resulting in the latter taking power in Gaza . The Gaza Strip was then subject to an Israeli-led, Egyptian-supported blockade . Israel eased the blockade allowing consumer goods in June 2010, and Egypt reopened the Rafah Border Crossing in 2011 to pedestrians. The primary economic activities of Gaza are small-scale industries and agriculture. However,
16168-572: The Peleset in conjunction with any of the five cities that are said in the Bible to have made up the Philistine pentapolis comes in the Onomasticon of Amenope. The sequence in question has been translated as: "Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gaza, Assyria, Shubaru [...] Sherden , Tjekker , Peleset , Khurma [...]" Scholars have advanced the possibility that the other Sea Peoples mentioned were connected to these cities in some way as well. Many scholars have interpreted
16356-466: The Philistines as one of the nations to be displaced from Canaan. In Genesis 15:18-21, the Philistines are absent from the ten nations Abraham 's descendants will displace as well as being absent from the list of nations Moses tells the people they will conquer, though the land in which they resided is included in the boundaries based on the locations of rivers described. In fact, the Philistines, through their Capthorite ancestors, were allowed to conquer
16544-464: The Philistines upon their Exodus from Egypt, according to Exodus 13:17. In Genesis 21:22-17, Abraham agrees to a covenant of kindness with Abimelech , the Philistine king, and his descendants. Abraham's son Isaac deals with the Philistine king similarly, by concluding a treaty with them in chapter 26. Unlike most other ethnic groups in the Bible , the Philistines are almost always referred to without
16732-534: The Philistines were housed in Egypt; only subsequently late in the troubled end of the reign of Ramesses III would they have been allowed to settle Philistia. The "Peleset" appear in four different texts from the time of the New Kingdom . Two of these, the inscriptions at Medinet Habu and the Rhetorical Stela at Deir al-Medinah , are dated to the time of the reign of Ramesses III (1186–1155 BC). Another
16920-512: The Philistines' rebellion, leading to the exile of many Philistines, who gradually lost their distinct identity in Babylonia . By the late fifth century BC, the Philistines no longer appear as a distinct group in historical or archaeological records, though the extent of their assimilation remains subject to debate. The Philistines are known for their biblical conflict with the Canaanite peoples of
17108-679: The Philistines, who had been under the rule of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–605 BC), were ultimately vanquished by King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire . Much like the kingdoms of Israel and Judah , the Philistines lost their autonomy by the end of the Iron Age , becoming vassals to the Assyrians , Egyptians , and later Babylonians . Historical sources suggest that Nebuchadnezzar II destroyed Ashkelon and Ekron due to
17296-494: The Ridwans. The Ridwan period was Gaza's last golden age during Ottoman rule. After the family was removed from office, the city gradually declined. Starting in the early 19th century, Gaza was culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt; Muhammad Ali of Egypt conquered Gaza in 1832. American scholar Edward Robinson visited the city in 1838, describing it as a "thickly populated" town larger than Jerusalem, with its Old City lying upon
17484-584: The Roman Empire in the 3rd century AD, Gaza remained under control of the Eastern Roman Empire that in turn became the Byzantine Empire . The city prospered and was an important center for the southern Palestine. A Christian bishopric was established at Gaza . Conversion to Christianity in Gaza was accelerated under Saint Porphyrius between 396 and 420. In 402, Theodosius II ordered all eight of
17672-595: The Roman period, Gaza was a prosperous city and received grants and attention from several emperors. A 500-member senate governed Gaza, and a diverse variety of Greeks , Romans, Phoenicians , Jews , Egyptians , Persians , and Bedouin populated the city. Gaza's mint issued coins adorned with the busts of gods and emperors . During his visit in 130 AD, Emperor Hadrian personally inaugurated wrestling , boxing , and oratorical competitions in Gaza's new stadium , which became known from Alexandria to Damascus . The city
17860-462: The Sea Peoples (mainly Philistines) in Canaan as mercenaries. Egyptian strongholds in Canaan are also mentioned, including a temple dedicated to Amun , which some scholars place in Gaza; however, the lack of detail indicating the precise location of these strongholds means that it is unknown what impact these had, if any, on Philistine settlement along the coast. The only mention in an Egyptian source of
18048-445: The Sea Peoples in the southern Levant should not be surprising as Canaan was never mentioned in any text describing the Sea Peoples as a target of destruction or attack by the Sea Peoples. Other sites such as Tell Keisan, Acco, Tell Abu Hawam, Tel Dor, Tel Mevorak, Tel Zeror, Tel Michal, Tel Gerisa, and Tel Batash, have no evidence of a destruction ca. 1200 BC. By Iron Age II , the Philistines had formed an ethnic state centered around
18236-531: The Sea Peoples, declaring that the Peleset were "reduced to ashes." The Papyrus Harris I , records how the defeated foe were brought in captivity to Egypt and settled in fortresses. The Harris papyrus can be interpreted in two ways: either the captives were settled in Egypt and the rest of the Philistines/Sea Peoples carved out a territory for themselves in Canaan, or else it was Ramesses himself who settled
18424-416: The Six-Day War, IDF captured Gaza. Under the then head of Israel's Southern Command Ariel Sharon , dozens of Palestinians, suspected of being members of the resistance, were executed without trial. Between 1967 and 1968, Israel evicted approximately 75,000 residents of the Gaza Strip who Golda Meir described as a "fifth column". In addition, at least 25,000 Gazan residents were prevented from returning after
18612-589: The Strip, but instead treated it as a controlled territory and administered it through a military governor. The influx of over 200,000 refugees from former Mandatory Palestine, roughly a quarter of those who fled or were expelled from their homes during, and in the aftermath of, the 1948 Arab–Israeli War into Gaza resulted in a dramatic decrease in the standard of living. Because the Egyptian government restricted movement to and from Gaza, its inhabitants could not look elsewhere for gainful employment. In June 1967, during
18800-682: The Wadi Ghazza riverbed. During the Middle Bronze Age , a revived Tell es-Sakan became the southernmost locality in Palestine, serving as a fort. In 1650 BC, when the Canaanite Hyksos occupied Egypt, a second city developed on the ruins of the first Tell as-Sakan. However, it was abandoned by the 14th century BC, at the end of the Bronze Age. During the reign of Tuthmosis III (r. 1479–1425 BC),
18988-502: The West Bank and Gaza Strip. These contrasted with civil efforts including general strikes , boycotts of Israeli Civil Administration institutions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, an economic boycott consisting of refusal to work in Israeli settlements on Israeli products, refusal to pay taxes, and refusal to drive Palestinian cars with Israeli licenses. In May 1994, following the Palestinian-Israeli agreements known as
19176-421: The West Bank. Saudi Arabia and Egypt supported reconciliation and a new unity government and pressed Abbas to start talks with Hamas. Abbas had always conditioned this on Hamas returning control of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority. After the takeover, Israel and Egypt closed their border crossings with Gaza . Palestinian sources reported that European Union monitors fled the Rafah Border Crossing , on
19364-403: The arch-enemies of the Israelites, a serious and recurring threat before being subdued by David. Not all relations were negative, with the Cherethites and Pelethites , who were of Philistine origin, serving as David's bodyguards and soldiers. The Aramean, Assyrian and Babylonian threat eventually took over, with the Philistines themselves falling victim to these groups. They were conquered by
19552-410: The area of modern-day Greece . This view is based largely upon the fact that archaeologists, when digging up strata dated to the Philistine time-period in the coastal plains and in adjacent areas, have found similarities in material culture (figurines, pottery, fire-stands, etc.) between Aegean-Greek culture and that of Philistine culture, suggesting common origins. A minority, dissenting, claims that
19740-466: The area. Thousands of homes were bulldozed and large numbers of Bedouin families were exiled to the Sinai. Between 1973 (after the Yom Kippur War ) and 1987, official policy on economic development in the Gaza Strip remained the same as in 1969 with limited local investment and economic opportunity coming primarily from employment in Israel. According to Tom Segev , moving the Palestinians out of
19928-530: The attack was a response to Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel, which totaled over 3,000 in 2008 , and which intensified during the few weeks preceding the operation. Israel advised people near military targets to leave before the attacks. Israeli defense sources said that Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the IDF to prepare for the operation six months before it began, using long-term planning and intelligence-gathering. A total of 1,100–1,400 Palestinians (295–926 civilians) and 13 Israelis were killed in
20116-454: The battles brought about more death and destruction in Gaza whilst the city was still recovering from the effects of the plague. During the late Ottoman period, British ships docking in Gaza were loaded with barley , which was primarily intended for marketing in Scotland for whisky production. Due to the absence of a British consular agent, precise data on the financial value and quantities of
20304-587: The biblical Philistines with the Egyptian " Peleset " inscriptions; and since 1873, both have been connected with the Aegean " Pelasgians ". The evidence for these connections is etymological and has been disputed. Based on the Peleset inscriptions, it has been suggested that the Casluhite Philistines formed part of the conjectured "Sea Peoples" who repeatedly attacked Egypt during the later Nineteenth Dynasty . Though they were eventually repulsed by Ramesses III, he finally resettled them, according to
20492-868: The border. Egypt arrested and later released several armed Hamas militants in the Sinai who presumably wanted to infiltrate into Israel. At the same time, Israel increased its state of alert along the length of the Israel–Egypt Sinai border, and warned its citizens to leave Sinai "without delay." In February 2008, the Israel–Gaza conflict intensified, with rockets launched at Israeli cities. Aggression by Hamas led to Israeli military action on 1 March 2008, resulting in over 110 Palestinians being killed according to BBC News, as well as 2 Israeli soldiers. Israeli human rights group B'Tselem estimated that 45 of those killed were not involved in hostilities, and 15 were minors. On 27 December 2008, Israeli F-16 fighters launched
20680-471: The campaign, Sargon II singled out his capture of Gath, in 711 BC. Ten years later, Egypt once again incited its neighbors to rebel against Assyria, resulting in Ashkelon, Ekron, Judah , and Sidon revolting against Sargon's son and successor, Sennacherib . Sennacherib crushed the revolt, defeated the Egyptians, and destroyed much of the cities in southern Aramea , Phoenicia, Philistia, and Judah , and entered
20868-472: The ceramic and technological evidence attested to by archaeology as being associated with the Philistine advent in the area as strongly suggestive that they formed part of a large scale immigration to southern Canaan, probably from Anatolia and Cyprus , in the 12th century BC. The proposed connection between Mycenaean culture and Philistine culture was further documented by finds at the excavation of Ashdod, Ekron, Ashkelon, and more recently Gath, four of
21056-523: The cessation of hostilities, the Israel–Egypt Armistice Agreement of 24 February 1949 established the line of separation between Egyptian and Israeli forces, as well as the modern boundary between Gaza and Israel, which both signatories declared not to be an international border. The southern border with Egypt was unchanged. Palestinians living in Gaza or Egypt were issued All-Palestine passports. Egypt did not offer them citizenship. From
21244-562: The city became a stop on the Syrian-Egyptian caravan route and was mentioned in the 14th-century Amarna letters as "Azzati". Gaza later served as Egypt's administrative capital in Canaan . Gaza remained under Egyptian control for 350 years until it was conquered by the Philistines in the 12th century BC. In the 12th century BC Gaza became part of the Philistine "pentapolis" . According to
21432-406: The city had caused the humanitarian situation in Gaza to have reached its worst point since Israel occupied the territory in the 1967 Six-Day War, and that Israeli air strikes targeting militants in the densely populated areas have often killed bystanders as well. In 2008, Israel commenced an assault against Gaza . Israel stated the strikes were in response to repetitive rocket and mortar attacks from
21620-802: The city worsened. In September 1993, the leaders of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed the Oslo Accords . The agreement called for Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho , which was implemented in May 1994. Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza, leaving a new Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to administer and police the city. The PNA, led by Yasser Arafat , chose Gaza as its first provincial headquarters. The newly established Palestinian National Council held its inaugural session in Gaza in March 1996. In 2005, Israel withdrew its troops from
21808-607: The city's pagan temples destroyed, and four years later Empress Aelia Eudocia commissioned the construction of a church atop the ruins of the Temple of Marnas. It was during this era that the Christian philosopher Aeneas of Gaza called Gaza, his hometown, "the Athens of Asia." A large synagogue existed in Gaza in the 6th century, according to excavations. In c. 638 Gaza was captured by Arab Muslim forces under Amr ibn al-As , in
21996-572: The city, after being expelled by the Crusaders, and the Jewish community prospered during Mamluk rule. Towards the end of the Mamluk period, the Jewish community in Gaza was the third largest in Palestine, after the communities in Safad and Jerusalem. In 1481, an Italian Jewish traveller, Meshulam of Volterra , wrote of Gaza: It is a fine and renowned place, and its fruits are very renowned and good. Bread and good wine
22184-422: The city, killing 500 senators who had fled into the temple of Apollo for safety. Josephus notes that Gaza was resettled under the rule of Antipater , who cultivated friendly relations with Gazans, Ascalonites and neighboring cities after being appointed governor of Idumaea by Jannaeus. Rebuilt after it was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 63 BC under the command of Pompey Magnus , Gaza then became
22372-482: The civil services, providing housing, and establishing local security forces. Gaza was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War following the defeat of the Egyptian Army . Frequent conflicts have erupted between Palestinians and the Israeli authorities in the city since the 1970s. The tensions led to the First Intifada in 1987. Gaza was a center of confrontation during this uprising, and economic conditions in
22560-554: The coastal plain of Palestine from Rafah in the south to just north of Caesarea , and to the east as far as the Samarian highlands and the Hebron Hills . Other major towns in the province included Qaqun , Ludd , and Ramla . Gaza, which entered a period of tranquility under the Mamluks, was used by them as an outpost in their offensives against the Crusaders which ended in 1290. In 1294 an earthquake devastated Gaza, and five years later
22748-432: The collision was a deliberate response for the killing of an Israeli in Gaza days earlier. Israel denied that the crash, which came at time of heightened tensions, was intentional or coordinated. The Palestinian response was characterized by protests, civil disobedience , and violence. There was graffiti , barricading , and widespread throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails at the IDF and its infrastructure within
22936-440: The core of Philistine territory, such as Ashdod , Ashkelon , Gath , and Ekron , show nearly no signs of an intervening event marked by destruction. The same can be said for Aphek where an Egyptian garrison was destroyed, likely in an act of warfare at the end of the 13th century, which was followed by a local Canaanite phase, which was then followed by the peaceful introduction of Philistine pottery. The lack of destruction by
23124-655: The country had been a persistent element of Zionist thinking from early times. In December 1967, during a meeting at which the Security Cabinet brainstormed about what to do with the Arab population of the newly occupied territories, one of the suggestions Prime Minister Levi Eshkol proffered regarding Gaza was that the people might leave if Israel restricted their access to water supplies. A number of measures, including financial incentives, were taken shortly afterwards to begin to encourage Gazans to emigrate elsewhere. Following
23312-472: The country's proclaimed capital East Jerusalem , the city is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war , it was the most populous city in the State of Palestine , when massive displacement happened during the war. Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC, Gaza has been dominated by different peoples and empires throughout its history. The Philistines made it
23500-517: The destruction of the Philistines. Jeremiah 47:4 describes the Philistines as the remnant of the Caphtorim because the latter were mysteriously destroyed, either by divine or man-made means. The following is a list of battles described in the Bible as having occurred between the Israelites and the Philistines: Several theories are given about the origins of the Philistines. The Hebrew Bible mentions in two places that they originate from
23688-511: The discoveries at the Palistin capital Tell Tayinat indicate a Neo-Hittite state, including the names of the kings of Palistin. Singer proposes (based on archaeological finds) that a branch of the Philistines settled in Tell Tayinat and were replaced or assimilated by a new Luwian population who took the Palistin name. Allen Jones (1972 & 1975) suggests that the name Philistine represents
23876-470: The early 1990s. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew its military forces from Gaza, dismantled its settlements , and implemented a temporary blockade of Gaza . The blockade became indefinite after the 2007 Hamas takeover. Egypt also began its blockade of Gaza in 2007. Despite the Israeli disengagement, Gaza is still considered occupied by Israel under international law . The current blockade prevents people and goods from freely entering or leaving
24064-458: The east and north. The territory has been under Israeli occupation since 1967 . The territorial boundaries were established while Gaza was controlled by Egypt at the conclusion of the 1948 Arab–Israeli war , and it became a refuge for Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestine war . Later, during the 1967 Six-Day War , Israel captured and occupied the Gaza Strip, initiating its decades-long military occupation of
24252-572: The end of 1949, they received aid directly from UNRWA. During the Suez Crisis (1956), Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula were occupied by Israeli troops, who withdrew under international pressure. The All-Palestine government was accused of being little more than a façade for Egyptian control, with negligible independent funding or influence. It subsequently moved to Cairo and dissolved in 1959 by decree of Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser . During
24440-563: The end of the Fatah-Hamas coalition government , and possibly the end of the Palestinian authority. Hamas spokesman Mousa Abu Marzook blamed the conflict between Hamas and Fatah on Israel, stating that the constant pressure of economic sanctions resulted in the "real explosion." From 2006 to 2007 more than 600 Palestinians were killed in fighting between Hamas and Fatah. 349 Palestinians were killed in fighting between factions in 2007. 160 Palestinians killed each other in June alone. Following
24628-588: The exact place in Europe from where Philistines had migrated to Levant, due to limited number of ancient genomes available for study, "with 20 to 60 per cent similarity to DNA from ancient skeletons from Crete and Iberia and that from modern people living in Sardinia ." Most scholars agree that the Philistines were of Greek origin, and that they came from Crete and the rest of the Aegean Islands or, more generally, from
24816-475: The factions. Interior Minister Hani Qawasmi , who had been considered a moderate civil servant acceptable to both factions, resigned due to what he termed harmful behavior by both sides. Fighting spread in the Gaza Strip, with both factions attacking vehicles and facilities of the other side. Following a breakdown in an Egyptian-brokered truce, Israel launched an air strike which destroyed a building used by Hamas. Ongoing violence prompted fear that it could bring
25004-655: The finds are three small bronze wheels with eight spokes. Such wheels are known to have been used for portable cultic stands in the Aegean region during this period, and it is therefore assumed that this building served cultic functions . Further evidence concerns an inscription in Ekron to PYGN or PYTN, which some have suggested refers to " Potnia ", the title given to an ancient Mycenaean goddess. Excavations in Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath reveal dog and pig bones which show signs of having been butchered, implying that these animals were part of
25192-559: The five Philistine cities in Canaan. The fifth city is Gaza. Especially notable is the early Philistine pottery, a locally made version of the Aegean Mycenaean Late Helladic IIIC pottery, which is decorated in shades of brown and black. This later developed into the distinctive Philistine pottery of the Iron Age I, with black and red decorations on white slip known as Philistine Bichrome ware . Also of particular interest
25380-666: The goods are unavailable. While leading the Allied Forces during World War I, the British won control of the city during the Third Battle of Gaza in 1917. After the war, Gaza was included in Mandatory Palestine. In the 1930s and 1940s, Gaza underwent major expansion. New neighborhoods were built along the coast and the southern and eastern plains. International organizations and missionary groups funded most of this construction. In
25568-510: The heavily fortified lines outside of Khan Yunis held by the 86th Palestinian Brigade. After some street-fighting with Egyptian soldiers and Palestinian fedayeen , Khan Yunis fell to the Israelis. Upon capturing Khan Yunis, the IDF committed an alleged massacre . Israeli troops started executing unarmed Palestinians, mostly civilians; in one instance men were lined up against walls in central square and executed with machine guns . The claims of
25756-672: The highroad to Egypt on the border of the desert." In 978, the Fatimids established an agreement with Alptakin , the Turk ruler of Damascus, whereby the Fatimids would control Gaza and the land south of it, including Egypt, while Alptakin controlled the region north of the city. The Crusaders conquered Gaza in 1100 and King Baldwin III built a castle in the city for the Knights Templar in 1149. He also had
25944-461: The inhabitants were either killed or taken captive. Alexander brought in local Bedouins to populate Gaza and organized the city into a polis (or " city-state "). In Seleucid times, Seleucus I Nicator , or one of his successors renamed Gaza into Seleucia to control the surrounding area against the Ptolemies. Greek culture consequently took root and Gaza earned a reputation as a flourishing center of Hellenistic learning and philosophy. During
26132-409: The international border. The Gaza Strip remained under Israeli military administration. The Israeli military became responsible for the maintenance of civil facilities and services. After the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty, a 100-meter-wide buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt known as the Philadelphi Route was established. The international border along the Philadelphi corridor between Egypt and Gaza
26320-564: The interpretation that Ramesses III defeated the Sea Peoples, including Philistines, and settled their captives in fortresses in southern Canaan; another related theory suggests that Philistines invaded and settled the coastal plain for themselves. The soldiers were quite tall and clean-shaven. They wore breastplates and short kilts , and their superior weapons included chariots drawn by two horses. They carried small shields and fought with straight swords and spears. The Rhetorical Stela are less discussed, but are noteworthy in that they mention
26508-420: The land from the Avvites . However, their de-facto control over Canaan appears to have been limited. Joshua 13:3 states that only five cities, Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron, were controlled by Philistine lords. Three of these cities were later overtaken by the Anakim , making them a target for Israelite conquests as seen in Judges 3:3 and 2 Samuel 21:20 . God also directed the Israelites away from
26696-502: The land of the Philistines, called Philistia, was a pentapolis in the southwestern Levant comprising the five city-states of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath, from Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with no fixed border to the east. Tell Qasile (a "port city") and Aphek were located on the northern frontier of Philistine territory, and Tell Qasile in particular may have been inhabited by both Philistine and non-Philistine people. The location of Gath
26884-417: The legislature of the Palestinian National Authority . In 2007, Hamas overthrew Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip and Hamas members were dismissed from the PNA government in the West Bank in response. Currently, Hamas, recognized as a terror organization by most western countries, has de facto control of the city and Strip. In March 2008, a coalition of human rights groups charged that the Israeli blockade of
27072-453: The loss of these facilities and homes, especially since they have great challenges to rebuild them. On 5 June 2014, Fatah signed a unity agreement with the Hamas political party. The 2014 Gaza War , also known as Operation Protective Edge, was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip. Following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank by Hamas-affiliated Palestinian militants,
27260-454: The main part of Gaza's nucleus. It is roughly divided into two quarters; the northern Daraj Quarter (also known as the Muslim Quarter) and the southern Zaytun Quarter (which contained the Jewish and Christian quarters.) Most structures date from the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, and some were built on top of earlier structures. The ancient part of the Old City is about 1.6 square kilometres (0.62 sq mi). There were seven historic gates to
27448-414: The mid-19th century, Gaza's port was eclipsed by the ports of Jaffa and Haifa , but it retained its fishing fleet. The bubonic plague struck Gaza again in 1839 and the city, lacking political and economic stability, went into a state of stagnation. In 1840 Egyptian and Ottoman troops battled outside of Gaza. The Ottomans won control of the territory, effectively ending Egyptian rule over Palestine. However,
27636-408: The mid-8th century BC, when Tiglath-Pileser III , the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire , marched into the region, conquering much of the Levant that was not already under Assyrian rule (including Aram-Damascus and Phoenicia ), and occupying the remaining kingdoms in the area (including Philistia). Decades later, Egypt began agitating its neighbours to rebel against Assyrian rule. A revolt in Israel
27824-408: The modern theory of Philistines having an Aegean origin. In 2016, a large Philistine cemetery was discovered near Ashkelon, containing more than 150 dead buried in oval-shaped graves. A 2019 genetic study found that, while all three Ashkelon populations derive most of their ancestry from the local Semitic -speaking Levantine gene pool, the early Iron Age population was genetically distinct due to
28012-420: The name Peleset/Pulasti and the peoples' supposed Aegean origins, have led many scholars to identify the pwrꜣsꜣtj with the Philistines. Typically "Philistine" artifacts begin appearing in Canaan by the 12th century BC. Pottery of Philistine origin has been found far outside of what would later become the core of Philistia, including at the majority of Iron Age I sites in the Jezreel Valley ; however, because
28200-444: The new wine. ... The Jews live at the top of the hill. May God exalt them. There are also four Samaritan householders who live on the hillside. In 1516 Gaza—at the time, a small town with an inactive port, ruined buildings and reduced trade—was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire . The Ottoman army quickly and efficiently crushed a small-scale uprising, and the local population generally welcomed them as fellow Sunni Muslims. The city
28388-435: The northern Sinai , though he was unable to capture the Judahite capital, Jerusalem , instead forcing it to pay tribute. As punishment, the rebel nations paid tribute to Assyria, and Sennacherib's annals report that he exacted such tribute from the kings of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, but Gath is never mentioned, which may indicate that the city was actually destroyed by Sargon II. The Philistines were later occupied by
28576-440: The occupation in March 1957, amid international pressure. During the four-month Israeli occupation, 900–1,231 people were killed. According to French historian Jean-Pierre Filiu , 1% of the population of Gaza was killed, wounded, imprisoned or tortured during the occupation. After the dissolution of the All-Palestine Government in 1959, under the excuse of pan-Arabism, Egypt continued to occupy Gaza until 1967. Egypt never annexed
28764-454: The official language. In 767 Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i was born in Gaza and lived his early childhood there; he founded the Shafi'i religious code, one of the four major Sunni Muslim schools of law ( fiqh ). Security, which was well-maintained during early Muslim rule, was the key to Gaza's prosperity. Although alcohol was banned in Islam, the Jewish and Christian communities were allowed to maintain wine production , and grapes ,
28952-406: The place to which Samson brought the city gates of the Philistines. The hill is crowned by a Muslim shrine ( maqam ) dedicated to Ali al-Muntar ("Ali of the Watchtower"). There are old Muslim graves around the surrounding trees, and the lintel of the doorway of the maqam has two medieval Arabic scriptures. Al-Furqan neighborhood is named the al-Furqan mosque in the city. The Old City forms
29140-406: The presence of Philistine pottery in northern Israel to their role as mercenaries for the Egyptians during the Egyptian military administration of the land in the 12th century BC. This presence may also indicate further expansion of the Philistines to the valley during the 11th century BC, or their trade with the Israelites. There are biblical references to Philistines in the valley during the times of
29328-616: The previous conflict). On 13 June 2021, a high level World Bank delegation visited Gaza to witness the damage. Mobilization with UN and EU partners is ongoing to finalize a needs assessment in support of Gaza's reconstruction and recovery. Another escalation between 5 and 8 August 2022 resulted in property damage and displacement of people as a result of airstrikes. Philistine The Philistines ( Hebrew : פְּלִשְׁתִּים , romanized : Pəlištīm ; LXX : Koinē Greek : Φυλιστιείμ , romanized: Phulistieím ; Latin : Philistaei ) were an ancient people who lived on
29516-449: The prophet , forbidding the Israelites from making iron implements of war. According to their chronicles, the Philistines were eventually subjugated by David , before regaining independence in the wake of the United Monarchy 's dissolution, after which there are only sparse references to them. The accuracy of these narratives is a subject of debate among scholars. The Philistines seemed to have generally retained their autonomy, up until
29704-414: The quantity of said pottery finds are light, it is assumed that the Philistines' presence in these areas were not as strong as in their core territory, and that they probably were a minority which had assimilated into the native Canaanite population by the 10th century BC. There is little evidence that the Sea Peoples forcefully injected themselves into the southern Levant; and the cities which would become
29892-400: The region is scarce. The citizens of Ashdod were reported to keep their language but it might have been an Aramaic dialect. In the Book of Genesis , 10:13-14 states, with regard to descendants of Mizraim , in the Table of Nations : "Mizraim begot the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim, the Pathrusim, the Casluhim , and the Caphtorim , whence the Philistines came forth." There
30080-437: The region's international border with Egypt . With the defeat of the Central Powers in World War I and the subsequent partition of the Ottoman Empire , the British deferred the governance of the Gaza Strip area to Egypt, which declined the responsibility. Britain itself kept and ruled the territory it occupied in 1917–18, from 1920 until 1948 under the internationally accepted frame of " Mandatory Palestine ". During
30268-491: The region, in particular, the Israelites . Though the primary source of information about the Philistines is the Hebrew Bible , they are first attested to in reliefs at the Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu , in which they are called the Peleset ( 𓊪𓏲𓂋𓏤𓏤𓐠𓍘𓇋𓍑 ), accepted as cognate with Hebrew Peleshet ; the parallel Assyrian term is Palastu , Pilišti , or Pilistu ( Akkadian : 𒉺𒆷𒀸𒌓 , 𒉿𒇷𒅖𒋾 , and 𒉿𒇷𒅖𒌓 ). They also left behind
30456-458: The root ע-ז-ז corresponds to a Proto-Semitic * ʻ sound (compare Hebrew עַז ʻaz with Arabic عَزَّ ʻazza , both meaning "to be strong, powerful, mighty"), while it is clear from city's name in Arabic ( غَزَّة , Ḡazza ), Greek ( Γάζα , Gáza ), and Egyptian ( gꜣḏꜣtw ) that the name of Gaza was likely originally pronounced with an initial / ʁ / sound in Hebrew, and thus can't have been from
30644-421: The same ע-ז-ז root as עַז ʻaz . Historically, Muslims often referred to the city as Ḡazzat Hāŝim in honor of Hashim , the great-grandfather of Muhammad who, according to Islamic tradition , is buried in the city. Gaza's history of habitation dates back 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. Located on the Mediterranean coastal route between North Africa and
30832-465: The settled population and the nearby Bedouin tribes was dramatically reduced, allowing Gaza to peacefully prosper. The Ridwan period is described as a golden age for Gaza, a time when it served as the virtual "capital of Palestine." The Great Mosque was restored, and six other mosques constructed, while Turkish baths and market stalls proliferated. After the death of Musa Pasha , Husayn's successor, Ottoman officials were appointed to govern in place of
31020-532: The similarities in material culture are only the result of acculturation , during their entire 575 years of existence among Canaanite (Phoenician), Israelite, and perhaps other seafaring peoples. Since 1846, scholars have connected the biblical Philistines with the Egyptian " Peleset " inscriptions. All five of these appear from c. 1150 BC to c. 900 BC just as archaeological references to Kinaḫḫu , or Ka-na-na (Canaan), come to an end; and since 1873 comparisons were drawn between them and to
31208-488: The south coast of Canaan during the Iron Age in a confederation of city-states generally referred to as Philistia . There is compelling evidence to suggest that Philistines originated from a Greek immigrant group from the Aegean . The immigrant group settled in Canaan around 1175 BC during the Late Bronze Age collapse . Over time, they gradually assimilated elements of the indigenous Canaanite societies, while preserving their own unique culture. In 604 BC,
31396-401: The steel reinforcement of the border barrier was weakened, Hamas destroyed several parts of the wall dividing Gaza and Egypt in the town of Rafah . Hundreds of thousands of Gazans crossed the border into Egypt seeking food and supplies. Due to the crisis, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered his troops to allow the Palestinians in but to verify that they did not bring weapons back across
31584-410: The storehouses and granaries each year." Some scholars suggest it is likely that these "strongholds" were fortified towns in southern Canaan, which would eventually become the five cities (the pentapolis) of the Philistines. Israel Finkelstein has suggested that there may be a period of 25–50 years after the sacking of these cities and their reoccupation by the Philistines. It is possible that at first,
31772-441: The territory, leading to Gaza often being called an "open-air prison". The UN, as well as at least 19 human-rights organizations, have urged Israel to lift the blockade. Israel has justified its blockade on the strip with wanting to stop flow of arms, but Palestinians and rights groups say it amounts to collective punishment and exacerbates dire living conditions. Prior to the Israel–Hamas war , Hamas had said that it did not want
31960-492: The theory, to rebuild the coastal towns in Canaan. Papyrus Harris I details the achievements of the reign (1186–1155 BC) of Ramesses III. In the brief description of the outcome of the battles in Year 8 is the description of the fate of some of the conjectured Sea Peoples. Ramesses claims that, having brought the prisoners to Egypt, he "settled them in strongholds, bound in my name. Numerous were their classes, hundreds of thousands strong. I taxed them all, in clothing and grain from
32148-452: The vast majority of which were Gazan Palestinians. In 2018–2019, a series of protests , also known as the Great March of Return, were held each Friday in the Gaza Strip near the Israel–Gaza barrier from 30 March 2018 until 27 December 2019, during which a total of 223 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces. The demonstrators demanded that the Palestinian refugees must be allowed to return to lands they were displaced from in what
32336-410: The victory of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election , Hamas and Fatah formed the Palestinian authority national unity government headed by Ismail Haniyeh . Shortly after, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in the course of the Battle of Gaza (June 2007), seizing government institutions and replacing Fatah and other government officials with its own. By 14 June, Hamas fully controlled
32524-440: The world's highest population densities . More than 70% of Gaza's population are Palestinian refugees , half of whom are under the age of 18. Sunni Muslims make up most of Gaza's population, with a Palestinian Christian minority. Gaza has an annual population growth rate of 1.99% (2023 est.), the 39th-highest in the world. Gaza's unemployment rate is among the highest in the world, with an overall unemployment rate of 46% and
32712-433: The years following the Battle of Ajnadayn between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate in central Palestine. It was captured by Amr's forces about three years later. Believed to be the site where Muhammad 's great-grandfather Hashim ibn Abd Manaf was buried, Gaza was not destroyed and its inhabitants were not attacked by Amr's army despite the city's stiff and lengthy resistance, though its Byzantine garrison
32900-405: Was adorned with many pagan temples; the main cult being that of Marnas . Other temples were dedicated to Zeus , Helios , Aphrodite , Apollo , Athena and the local Tyche . Christianity began to spread throughout Gaza in 250 AD, including in the port of Maiuma . First evidence of a Bishop of Gaza is from early 4th century, when St. Sylvan served in that capacity. Following the division of
33088-415: Was based in the nearby town of al- Ramla . According to Theodore E. Dowling writing in 1913, a Samaritan community existed in Gaza in 1584. They possessed a large synagogue and two bathhouses. "One of them still bears the name " the Bath of the Samaritans ." It is believed the Samaritans were expelled from the city before the turn of the 16th century. During the rule of Husayn Pasha , strife between
33276-503: Was called Palistin . This country extended in the 11th-10th centuries BC from the Amouq Valley in the west to Aleppo in the east down to Mehardeh and Shaizar in the south. Due to the similarity between Palistin and Philistines, Hittitologist John David Hawkins (who translated the Aleppo inscriptions) hypothesizes a connection between the Syro-Hittite Palistin and the Philistines, as do archaeologists Benjamin Sass and Kay Kohlmeyer. Gershon Galil suggests that King David halted
33464-464: Was composed in the period immediately following the death of Ramesses III ( Papyrus Harris I ). The fourth, the Onomasticon of Amenope , is dated to some time between the end of the 12th or early 11th century BC. The inscriptions at Medinet Habu consist of images depicting a coalition of Sea Peoples, among them the Peleset, who are said in the accompanying text to have been defeated by Ramesses III during his Year 8 campaign. In about 1175 BC, Egypt
33652-458: Was crushed by Sargon II in 722 BC, resulting in the kingdom's total destruction. In 712 BC, a Philistine named Iamani ascended to the throne of Ashdod, and organized another failed uprising against Assyria with Egyptian aid. The Assyrian King Sargon II invaded Philistia, which effectively became annexed by Assyria, although the kings of the five cities, including Iamani, were allowed to remain on their thrones as vassals. In his annals concerning
33840-478: Was established to administer various refugee programmes. On 22 September 1948 (near the end of the Arab–Israeli War), in the Egyptian-occupied Gaza City , the Arab League proclaimed the All-Palestine Government, partly to limit Transjordan 's influence over Palestine. The All-Palestine Protectorate was quickly recognized by six of the Arab League's then-seven members (excluding Transjordan): Egypt, Syria , Lebanon , Iraq , Saudi Arabia , and Yemen . After
34028-475: Was in ruins. In later centuries, Gaza experienced several hardships—from Mongol raids to severe flooding and locust swarms , reducing it to a village by the 16th century, when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire . During the first half of Ottoman rule, the Ridwan dynasty controlled Gaza and the city went through an age of great commerce and peace. The municipality of Gaza was established in 1893. Gaza fell to British forces during World War I , becoming
34216-432: Was left largely deserted, with about only 300,000 people staying in the city. The remaining population was subjected to a humanitarian crisis and starvation brought on by the war. Seventy percent of the city was destroyed by airstrikes, and more than 39,000 people were killed in the Strip. Israel has been accused of committing a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza during the war, with South Africa initiating proceedings at
34404-472: Was left under the control of the Palestinian Authority . In the Palestinian parliamentary elections held on 25 January 2006, Hamas won a plurality of 42.9% of the total vote and 74 out of 132 total seats (56%). When Hamas assumed power the next month, Israel, the United States, the EU, Russia and the UN demanded that Hamas accept all previous agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist, and renounce violence; when Hamas refused, they cut off direct aid to
34592-447: Was massacred. The arrival of the Muslim Arabs brought significant changes to Gaza; at first some of its churches were transformed into mosques , including the present Great Mosque of Gaza (the oldest in the city), which was later rebuilt by Sultan Baibars , who endowed it with a huge manuscript library containing over 20,000 manuscripts in the 13th century. A large segment of the population swiftly adopted Islam, and Arabic became
34780-465: Was prohibited except through Israeli marketing vehicles, in order to assist Israeli citrus exports to the same markets. The overall result was that large numbers of farmers were forced out of the agricultural sector. Israel placed quotas on all goods exported from Gaza, while abolishing restrictions on the flow of Israeli goods into the Strip. Sara Roy characterised the pattern as one of structural de-development. On 26 March 1979, Israel and Egypt signed
34968-585: Was reconstructed. A barrier on the Gaza Strip-Egypt border was constructed starting in 2004. The main crossing points are the northern Erez Crossing into Israel and the southern Rafah Crossing into Egypt. The eastern Karni Crossing used for cargo, closed down in 2011. Israel controls the Gaza Strip's northern borders, as well as its territorial waters and airspace. Egypt controls Gaza Strip's southern border, under an agreement between it and Israel. Neither Israel or Egypt permits free travel from Gaza as both borders are heavily militarily fortified. "Egypt maintains
35156-423: Was then made the capital of the Gaza Sanjak , part of the larger Province of Damascus . The Ridwan family , named after governor Ridwan Pasha, was the first dynasty to govern Gaza and would continue to rule the city for over a century. Under Ahmad ibn Ridwan , the city became a cultural and religious center as a result of the partnership between the governor and prominent Islamic jurist Khayr al-Din al-Ramli , who
35344-411: Was threatened with a massive land and sea invasion by the "Sea Peoples," a coalition of foreign enemies which included the Tjeker , the Shekelesh, the Deyen, the Weshesh, the Teresh, the Sherden , and the PRST . They were comprehensively defeated by Ramesses III, who fought them in " Djahy " (the eastern Mediterranean coast) and at "the mouths of the rivers" (the Nile Delta ), recording his victories in
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