The Gaza Strip is located just north of Egypt in the southwest corner of present day Israel. The Mediterranean Sea creates the border on its west. It is the smaller of the two Palestinian areas. It is 360 square kilometers /140 square miles or about the size of the American city of Detroit. Over 1,500,000 Palestinians live in Gaza which makes it the second most crowded place in the world. Almost three quarters of the inhabitants of Gaza are refugees. There are eight refugee camps spread throughout the Strip where a half million people live in very poor and crowded conditions.
Israel evacuated all its Gaza settlements in 2005, but maintains control of the external borders. With few exceptions, Palestinians are not allowed to exit Gaza. In 2008, Gaza was said to have the highest unemployment rate in the world. Eighty percent of the people live below the poverty level. Some food is grown in Gaza, and agriculture is the single greatest employer. Even so, most of what Gaza needs must be imported. Since the takeover of the government by Hamas in 2007, Israel has tightened its control and there are often shortages of even the most basic goods.
The people of Gaza value education and almost all children attend school. The schools are very crowded, and 50 or more in a class is not uncommon. Most of the elementary (grades 1-6) schools have two sessions. One group of students and teachers go to school in the morning and another set use the same school in the afternoon. In the last few years, post-secondary education has expanded dramatically. There are now four universities and numerous smaller colleges and training institutes.
Palestinians, in general, are known for their hospitality, but that is especially true in Gaza. Visiting family and friends is still the major leisure activity. “tFaddal, tFaddal!” Being invited in for tea is the normal greeting one would hear while walking down the street. Even a perfect stranger would be encouraged to sit down for a chat. They might be surprised if you stopped in, but truly delighted to have you visit.
