Israel Gaza Egypt: The Gaza Strip is a narrow piece of land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s bordered by Israel to the east and north, and Egypt to the southwest.
The Gaza Strip was administered by Egypt after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1967, Israel captured the Gaza Strip during the Six-Day War. Between 1994 and 1999, Israel transferred security and civilian responsibility for much of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Since then, the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have been living under a blockade. Palestinians wishing to exit Gaza must obtain permission from both Palestinian and Egyptian authorities.
Egypt maintains tight control of the border, even in times of relative peace. There is a “stalemate” at the Egyptian border with Gaza, with no people or aid being able to go in or out.
Gaza and Egypt border
The Gaza Strip is located in the southwest corner of Israel, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It shares a border with Egypt to the south. The border is 12.6 km long.
The Gaza Strip has two crossing points for people and one for goods only. The sole crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip is the Rafah Border Crossing. The border was recognized by the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
The Gaza Strip is home to about 2.3 million people. They have been living under a blockade since the Palestinian armed group Hamas took control in 2007.
A deal was reportedly reached between the U.S., Egypt, and Israel that would allow for passage through the border crossing. However, it was unclear whether Hamas, which controls Gaza, would allow the safe passage. There was also no confirmation from Egyptian authorities that they would open the crossing.
how far is Gaza from Egypt?
The Gaza Strip is 11 kilometers (7 miles) from Egypt. The border between the two countries is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) long, and there is a buffer zone along the border that is about 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) long.
The Gaza Strip is 41 kilometers (25 miles) long and 6 to 12 kilometers (3.7 to 7.5 miles) wide. It has a 51 kilometer (32 mile) border with Israel. The Gaza Strip is home to 2.2 million people.
The Gaza Strip is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel, and Egypt. It was originally occupied by Egypt, but was captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war.
Egypt Gaza border map
The Egypt–Gaza border is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) long. The Gaza Strip is a narrow, 25-mile-long stretch of land located on the eastern Mediterranean coast. The Gaza Strip is bordered by:
- A 60 km-long fence on the Israeli side
- A 12.6 km-long border with Egypt
- Two working crossing points for people
- One crossing point for goods only
- One border crossing into Egypt in the south
- One border crossing into Israel in the north
The Gaza Strip was under Egyptian military rule from 1949 to 1956 and again from 1957 to 1967. Egypt never annexed the Gaza Strip, but instead treated it as a controlled territory and administered it through a military governor.
The Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas, a militant group that the U.S. and the European Union consider a terrorist organization. Israel began bombing Gaza after a Hamas attack that left more than 1,400 Israelis dead.
Gaza Egypt relations
Egypt and Gaza have a complicated relationship:
- Political controlEgypt has maintained close political control over Gaza.
- BlockadeEgypt has blocked Gaza because it was concerned that Hamas control of Gaza would increase Iranian influence.
- RefugeesEgypt is opposed to allowing Palestinians from Gaza to be resettled in the Sinai.
- AidEgypt is stockpiling aid from humanitarian organizations and Middle Eastern countries in northern Sinai.
- ViolenceEgypt is concerned that violence in Gaza could spill over into its territory.
Egypt occupied Gaza from 1948 to 1967. In 1993, Israel granted the Palestinian Authority in Gaza limited self-governance through the Oslo Accords.
The only crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border is the Rafah border crossing. Egypt admits travelers under strict quotas and with pre-approval by Cairo.