Gaza City Timeline

Gaza City 91

3300 BC – 3000 BC Egyptian fortress at Tell es-Sakan The first settlement in the Gaza area Ancient Egypt built a fortress in Canaanite territory at Tell es-Sakan, just south of present-day Gaza. The site was inhabited until about 3000 BC.
2600 BC – 2300 BC Canaanites resettle Tell es-Sakan Re-founded, then abandoned again Around 2600 BC Tell es-Sakan was re-founded, this time by Canaanites. It was abandoned again about 2300 BC, while Tell el-Ajjul grew along the Wadi Ghazza.
1457 BC Thutmose III records the name Gaza Earliest mention of the city The name Gaza first appears in the military records of the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III. Under him the city became a stop on a key trade route of the Levant and later Egypt's administrative capital in Canaan.
1350 BC Gaza in the Amarna letters Mentioned as Azzatu The 14th-century BC Amarna correspondence between Egypt and its vassals mentions Gaza as Azzatu and in other variant spellings.
1150 BC Philistines take Gaza End of 350 years of Egyptian rule After about 350 years of Egyptian control, Gaza was conquered by the Philistines in the 12th century BC and became one of the five cities of the Philistine pentapolis.
332 BC Alexander the Great besieges Gaza Five-month siege on the road to Egypt Gaza was the last city to resist Alexander on his way to Egypt. He took it after a five-month siege, killed or enslaved its inhabitants and resettled it as a Greek polis.
312 BC Battle of Gaza Ptolemy I defeats Demetrius In the Third War of the Diadochi, Ptolemy I Soter defeated Demetrius I Poliorcetes near Gaza.
277 BC Ptolemaic Gaza controls the spice trade After the campaign against the Nabataeans Following Ptolemy II's campaign against the Nabataeans, the Ptolemaic fortress of Gaza took control of the spice trade with Gerrha and South Arabia.
96 BC Alexander Jannaeus destroys Gaza Hasmonean siege The Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus besieged and destroyed Gaza, killing 500 senators who had fled into the temple of Apollo.
63 BC Pompey brings Gaza into the Roman Empire The city is rebuilt Gaza was rebuilt after Pompey incorporated it into the Roman Empire, and later became part of the province of Judaea. Under Rome its port flourished.
66 Gaza partly destroyed in the Jewish revolt First Jewish–Roman War Gaza was targeted by Jewish forces in their rebellion against Roman rule and partially destroyed. It remained an important city, all the more after the fall of Jerusalem.
130 Hadrian visits Gaza Games in the new stadium Emperor Hadrian visited Gaza and opened wrestling, boxing and oratory competitions. The city, governed by a 500-member senate, had temples to Marnas, Zeus, Helios, Aphrodite, Apollo and Athena.
250 Christianity spreads in Gaza Including the port of Maiuma Christianity began to spread through Gaza and its port of Maiuma. The first known bishop of Gaza, St. Sylvan, served in the early 4th century.
395 – 420 Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza Conversion accelerates Under Bishop Porphyry of Gaza the city's conversion to Christianity accelerated.
402 Theodosius II orders Gaza's temples destroyed All eight pagan temples Emperor Theodosius II ordered all eight of Gaza's pagan temples destroyed.
406 Church built on the Temple of Marnas Commissioned by Empress Eudocia Empress Aelia Eudocia commissioned a church on the ruins of the Temple of Marnas, the city's main pagan cult.
508 Gaza synagogue Mosaic of King David with a lyre Excavations show a large synagogue in Gaza in the 6th century, known for its mosaic of King David playing the lyre.
636 – 642 Arab conquests -- Syria, Palestine and Egypt lost Within a decade of Muhammad's death, Arab armies defeat the Byzantines at the Yarmouk (636) and conquer Syria, Palestine and Egypt (by 642). These are the wealthiest, most populous provinces of the empire -- their loss is a catastrophic blow to Byzantine power, wealth and identity from which the empire never fully recovers.
767 Al-Shafi'i born in Gaza Founder of the Shafi'i school of law Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i was born in Gaza and spent his early childhood there. He founded the Shafi'i school, one of the four major schools of Sunni law.
796 Gaza destroyed in the Qays–Yaman war Tribal war on the desert edge Bordering the Negev, Gaza was vulnerable to nomadic warfare and was destroyed at the end of the Qays–Yaman war. The Abbasids rebuilt it by the 10th century.
978 Fatimids take control of Gaza Agreement with Alptakin of Damascus The Fatimid Caliphate agreed with Alptakin, ruler of Damascus, that the Fatimids would hold Gaza and the land south of it.
1100 Crusaders conquer Gaza The city lay in ruins By the time the Crusader states were founded Gaza was in ruins. The Crusaders took it in 1100.
1149 Baldwin III builds a Templar castle The Great Mosque becomes a cathedral King Baldwin III of Jerusalem built a castle in Gaza for the Knights Templar and converted the Great Mosque into the Cathedral of Saint John.
1187 Saladin captures Gaza Ayyubid rule begins The Ayyubids under Saladin took Gaza and promoted a strictly Sunni religious policy. Its fortifications were destroyed in 1191.
1193 Gaza's walls dismantled under the Treaty of Ramla After Richard the Lionheart refortified them Richard the Lionheart apparently refortified Gaza in 1192, but the walls were taken down again as a result of the Treaty of Ramla.
1260 Mongols destroy Gaza Hulagu Khan's southernmost conquest The Mongols under Hulagu Khan destroyed Gaza completely, ending Ayyubid rule there. It was their southernmost conquest.
1277 Gaza becomes capital of a Mamluk province Mamlakat Ghazzah The Mamluks made Gaza the capital of a province reaching from Rafah to north of Caesarea, and used it as an outpost against the Crusaders.
1294 Earthquake devastates Gaza Five years later the Mongols return An earthquake devastated Gaza in 1294.
1299 Mongols destroy Gaza again Mamluk restoration undone The Mongols again destroyed what the Mamluks had restored.
1311 – 1320 Sanjar al-Jawli rebuilds Gaza Much of the Mamluk architecture dates from his rule Under governor Sanjar al-Jawli Gaza became a flourishing city. Much of its Mamluk-era architecture dates from his rule.
1348 Black Death in Gaza Most of the inhabitants die The bubonic plague reached Gaza and killed the majority of its inhabitants.
1352 Flood in Gaza Rare in an arid region A destructive flood struck Gaza, rare in that dry part of Palestine.
1355 Ibn Battuta visits Gaza Large and populous, with many mosques The traveller Ibn Battuta found Gaza large and populous, with many mosques.
1481 Meshulam of Volterra visits Gaza Sixty Jewish households The Italian Jewish traveller Meshulam of Volterra described Gaza's fruit, wine and its community of about sixty Jewish households with a small synagogue.
1516 Ottomans take Gaza Capital of the Gaza Sanjak Gaza, by then a small town with an idle port, was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire and made capital of the Gaza Sanjak in the province of Damascus.
1560 – 1690 Ridwan dynasty governs Gaza A golden age The Ridwan family governed Gaza for over a century. Mosques, bathhouses and markets were built and the city served as a virtual capital of Palestine. After them the city slowly declined.
1799 Napoleon takes Gaza Qasr al-Basha his residence On his Syrian campaign Napoleon took Gaza and stayed in the Mamluk-era villa Qasr al-Basha.
1832 Muhammad Ali's Egypt conquers Gaza Egyptian rule in Palestine Muhammad Ali of Egypt conquered Gaza, which was culturally dominated by Egypt from the early 19th century.
1838 Edward Robinson visits Gaza A town larger than Jerusalem The American scholar Edward Robinson found Gaza thickly populated and larger than Jerusalem, with bazaars better supplied than Jerusalem's.
1839 Plague returns to Gaza Stagnation follows Bubonic plague struck Gaza again and the city went into a period of stagnation.
1840 Ottomans retake Gaza from Egypt Battles outside the city Egyptian and Ottoman troops fought outside Gaza. The Ottoman victory ended Egyptian rule over Palestine.
1893 Gaza municipality founded First council under Ali Khalil Shawa Gaza's first municipal council was formed under Ali Khalil Shawa.
1906 Said al-Shawa becomes mayor of Gaza Start of modern mayorship Said al-Shawa was appointed mayor by the Ottoman authorities. He oversaw Gaza's first hospital, new mosques and schools and the restoration of the Great Mosque.
1907 Ahli Arab Hospital founded Church Missionary Society The Church Missionary Society founded the Ahli Arab Hospital. Destroyed in the First World War, it was rebuilt afterwards.
1917 – 1918 Allenbys Palestine campaign -- Jerusalem falls General Edmund Allenby's Palestine campaign (1917-1918) drives the Ottomans out of the Levant. He captures Gaza (October-November 1917), enters Jerusalem on foot on 11 December 1917 (deliberately humble, in contrast to Kaiser Wilhelm's theatrical entry in 1898), and in his final offensive (Battle of Megiddo, September 1918) destroys two Ottoman armies in 12 days -- one of the most complete cavalry victories of WWI. Damascus falls on 1 October 1918; Aleppo on 25 October. The Armistice of Mudros (30 October 1918) ends Ottoman participation in WWI. The collapse of the Levantine front is as rapid as the Balkan front in 1912.
1917 Third Battle of Gaza British forces take the city Allied forces under Allenby took Gaza from the Ottomans and Germans. The fighting cut the city's population from 42,000 before the war to about 17,000 in 1922.
1922 League of Nations Confirms British Mandate for Palestine Mandate terms are formally approved The League of Nations Council approved the terms of the British Mandate for Palestine on 24 July 1922, incorporating the 1917 Balfour Declaration's support for a Jewish national home. The mandate also covered Transjordan, administered separately. It took effect the following September and shaped the region's politics for the next quarter century.
1929 1929 Palestine riots Violence over the Western Wall spreads across Mandate Palestine A dispute over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem led to a week of rioting across Mandatory Palestine. About 133 Jews and 116 Arabs were killed, including 67 Jews in the Hebron massacre. The violence ended the ancient Jewish community of Hebron.
1930 – 1948 Rimal district built Gaza expands to the coast New neighbourhoods, among them Rimal on the dunes west of the centre, were built along the coast and the plains, mostly funded by international organisations and missions.
1946 Al-Shifa Hospital founded In a former army barracks The British Mandate government founded al-Shifa in the Rimal district. Under Egyptian administration it became Gaza's central hospital and remains its largest medical complex.
1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine adopted General Assembly Resolution 181 proposes Jewish and Arab states On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly voted 33 to 13 to partition Mandatory Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem placed under international administration. Jewish leaders accepted the plan and Arab leaders rejected it. Civil war broke out in Palestine the next day.
1948 Egypt takes control of Gaza Refugees swell the city After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip. Refugees from towns and villages captured by Israel swelled the city, which by 1967 had grown to six times its 1948 size.
1948 Arab-Israeli War breaks out Neighboring Arab states invade the newly declared state of Israel Hours after Israel declared independence, armies from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded on May 15, 1948, beginning the first Arab-Israeli War. The fighting, interspersed with UN-brokered truces, continued into 1949 and resulted in Israeli territorial gains beyond the original UN partition lines. The war also triggered the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs.
1949 1949 Armistice Agreements end Arab-Israeli War Israel signs armistices with Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria Israel signed separate armistice agreements with Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria between February and July 1949, ending the fighting of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The agreements established the Green Line that shaped the region's borders for decades.
1956 Suez Crisis Israel, Britain and France invade Egypt over the canal Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula, followed by British and French military intervention, after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. International pressure, particularly from the United States and the Soviet Union, forced the withdrawal of the invading forces. The crisis marked a decline in British and French global influence and a rise in American and Soviet dominance.
1957 Nasser's reforms in Gaza Schools, housing and hospitals After the Israeli withdrawal that followed the Suez Crisis, Gamal Abdel Nasser expanded education, the civil service and housing in Gaza and enlarged al-Shifa Hospital.
1967 Six-Day War Israel fights four Arab states in six days Israel launched pre-emptive strikes against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, decisively defeating their combined forces. Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, reshaping the region's borders and politics for decades.
1978 Islamic University of Gaza founded The city's first university A group of businessmen founded the Islamic University, Gaza's first university.
1987 First Intifada begins in Gaza and the West Bank Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation erupts after a traffic accident A Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, triggered by a traffic accident that killed four Palestinians. The uprising spread rapidly across the Gaza Strip and West Bank, involving strikes, boycotts and street protests. It lasted into the early 1990s and reshaped the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
1993 Oslo Accords signed Israel and the PLO agree to mutual recognition and limited Palestinian self-rule Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn, witnessed by US President Bill Clinton. The accords established mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO and set out a framework for Palestinian self-governance in Gaza and the West Bank. Rabin, Arafat, and Shimon Peres later shared the Nobel Peace Prize for the agreement.
1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement signed Israel and PLO begin Palestinian self-rule Israel and the PLO signed the Gaza-Jericho Agreement in Cairo, implementing the Oslo Accords by transferring limited self-government to Palestinians in Gaza and Jericho. It established the Palestinian Authority under Yasser Arafat.
1994 Gaza becomes the first Palestinian city council Proclaimed by the Palestinian Authority The Palestinian National Authority, which had chosen Gaza as its first headquarters, proclaimed it the first city council in the Palestinian territories.
1996 Yasser Arafat Elected President of the Palestinian Authority First Palestinian presidential election held in the West Bank and Gaza Yasser Arafat was elected President of the newly formed Palestinian Authority in the first Palestinian presidential election, held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Oslo Accords framework. He won with an overwhelming majority against a single opponent. The vote also elected the first Palestinian Legislative Council.
1996 Palestinian council's first session in Gaza Inaugural session The newly elected Palestinian council held its inaugural session in Gaza.
1998 Gaza International Airport opens Later named after Yasser Arafat The airport near Rafah opened. Damaged by the Israeli army in 2001 and 2002, it became unusable.
1999 Gaza Marine gas field discovered Offshore natural gas Natural gas reserves of about 1 trillion cubic feet were discovered off Gaza. Development stalled during the Second Intifada.
2000 Outbreak of the Second Intifada A Palestinian uprising follows a visit to the Temple Mount On 28 September 2000 the Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif, in Jerusalem, and clashes the next day spread across the West Bank and Gaza. The uprising that followed brought years of shootings, suicide bombings and Israeli military operations, killing roughly 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis before subsiding around 2005.
2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza Israel withdraws settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip Israel evacuated all of its settlers and military forces from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements between August and September 2005, ending a 38-year occupation of the territory. The unilateral withdrawal, ordered by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was completed on 12 September 2005. It remained one of the most significant shifts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict of the decade.
2006 Hamas wins Palestinian legislative election Upset victory over Fatah Hamas won a decisive majority in elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, defeating the long-dominant Fatah party. The result led Israel, the US and EU to cut off direct aid, and deepened the Fatah-Hamas rift. It reshaped Palestinian politics for years afterward.
2006 Gaza power plant bombed Built in 2002 Gaza's power plant, operating since 2002, was bombed and destroyed by the Israeli army. It was partly rebuilt by December 2007.
2007 – present Blockade of the Gaza Strip Israeli-led, Egyptian-supported After the Hamas takeover the Gaza Strip came under an Israeli-led, Egyptian-supported blockade. By 2008 most of Gaza's industry had stopped.
2007 Hamas takes over Gaza Battle with Fatah After months of conflict between Fatah and Hamas, Hamas took control of Gaza. Over 100 people died in the clashes.
2008 Gaza War begins Operation Cast Lead Israel began an assault on Gaza, citing rocket and mortar fire since 2005. Palestinians said they were responding to incursions and the blockade.
2009 Gaza War ends Israel and Hamas declare separate ceasefires Israel unilaterally declared a ceasefire on 18 January 2009, ending its three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip known as Operation Cast Lead. Hamas announced its own ceasefire days later, and Israeli forces completed their withdrawal by 21 January. The conflict killed over a thousand Palestinians and thirteen Israelis.
2010 Israel eases the Gaza blockade Consumer goods allowed in Israel eased the blockade to allow consumer goods into Gaza. The economy grew by 8% in the following months.
2011 Egypt reopens the Rafah crossing For pedestrians Egypt reopened the Rafah border crossing to pedestrians.
2012 Operation Pillar of Defense Eight-day conflict between Israel and Gaza militants Israel launched an air campaign against Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip following rocket fire into Israeli territory, targeting the killing of Hamas military commander Ahmed al-Jabari. An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire ended the fighting after eight days.
2014 Israel-Gaza war (Operation Protective Edge) Seven-week conflict between Israel and Hamas Israel launched a military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following rocket fire and the killing of three Israeli teenagers. The fighting killed over 2,000 Palestinians and more than 70 Israelis before a ceasefire took hold in late August. It was the deadliest round of Israeli-Palestinian violence in years.
2021 Israel and Hamas fight an eleven-day war in Gaza Some 260 killed before an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire Fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas on 10 May 2021 following clashes in Jerusalem, lasting eleven days and killing around 260 people before Egypt brokered a ceasefire.
2023 Hamas attacks Israel 1,200 killed in deadliest day for Jews since Holocaust Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages. It was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.
2023 Airstrike on the Church of Saint Porphyrius Gaza's oldest active church An Israeli airstrike damaged part of the church, killing at least 18 of the about 450 Christians and Muslims sheltering there.
2023 Siege of Gaza City begins Israeli forces surround the city Israeli forces surrounded Gaza City. By January 2024 70–80% of buildings in northern Gaza were damaged or destroyed.
2023 First truce in the Israel-Hamas War Hostages and prisoners exchanged over seven days A truce in the Israel-Hamas War began on 24 November 2023 and ran a week, during which Hamas released 105 hostages and Israel freed 240 Palestinian prisoners.
2023 Gaza Public Library destroyed Opened in 1999 The Public Library of Gaza, opened in 1999 with support from Dunkirk and the World Bank, was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.
2023 Great Mosque of Gaza destroyed The city's oldest mosque The Great Mosque, a temple, church and mosque in turn, was largely destroyed in the Israeli bombing of Gaza, with its minaret partly collapsed.
2024 Qasr al-Basha destroyed Mamluk villa used by Napoleon Qasr al-Basha, a Mamluk-era villa in the Old City later used as a girls' school, was destroyed during the Israeli invasion.
2024 ICJ orders Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza An interim ruling in South Africa's case The International Court of Justice ruled on 26 January 2024 that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, in interim orders on a case brought by South Africa.
2025 Gaza ceasefire of January 2025 Israel and Hamas agree to halt fighting Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire after 15 months of war in Gaza that killed over 46,000 Palestinians and around 1,700 Israelis. The deal included the phased release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The war had triggered a global humanitarian crisis, with much of Gaza's infrastructure destroyed and its population displaced.
2025 Famine confirmed in Gaza City IPC declaration The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine in the Gaza City area.
2025 Israeli offensive on Gaza City Hundreds of thousands flee south Israel launched a major offensive on Gaza City. The Israeli army said around 780,000 people had left for the south by late September.
2025 Ceasefire takes effect in the Israel-Hamas War An uneasy pause after two years of fighting A ceasefire took effect in the Israel-Hamas War on 10 October 2025, some two years after Hamas launched its assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The intervening war caused widespread destruction in Gaza and tens of thousands of deaths.