The Gaza Strip is located at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, with a short border with Egypt to the south. Otherwise, Gaza is surrounded by Israel.
Israel took possession of Gaza in the context of the 1967 Six-Day War.
In 2006, the Islamist movement Hamas won over the secular al-Fatah in a parliamentary election in Gaza. Hamas wanted to form a broad coalition with Fatah and other parties, but when these refused, Hamas formed its own government and established its own security force in Gaza.
In Gaza, bloody clashes broke out between supporters of Hamas and al-Fatah. Attempts to reach an agreement failed and in 2007 Hamas kicked al-Fatah out of Gaza and took over administration and policing.
Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, Israel has maintained a blockade of the area. Egypt has also treated Gaza restrictively.
Militant Palestinian groups and Israel have fought several devastating wars since then.
al-Fatah continues to rule the Israeli-occupied West Bank. (TT)