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Gaza

From Wikitravel

Contents

• Cities
• [+] Understand
  • Climate
  • Terrain
• [+] Get in
  • By plane
  • By land
  • By boat
• Get around
• Talk
• See
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• [+] Sleep
  • Luxury
• Learn
• Work
• Stay safe
• Stay healthy
• Respect
• Contact

WARNING: Travel to this area is extremely dangerous. THIS CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH. There are conflicts among Hamas/Fatah and frequent attacks by the Israeli military. As of end of 02/2008, warheads detonating in centrally populated areas are a sometimes hourly occurrence.

Trouble is most common in the northern areas of Gaza Strip, around Beit Hanoun, and at the border crossings into Israel and into Egypt via the southern crossing at Rafah. Journalists and other foreign nationals have been kidnapped by various local groups; most have been freed unharmed. Be careful in Gaza: stay away from demonstrations and the borders, and stay off the streets at night when most of the clashes happen. Especially avoid open fields where militants may be firing rockets at Israel and Israeli helicopters retaliating with rockets.

For other places with the same name, see Gaza (disambiguation).

Gaza (Arabic غزة, Ghazzah, Hebrew עזה 'Azza) is a Palestinian Arab enclave in the Middle East.

The Gaza Strip is a narrow, 40-km long slice of land between the Mediterranean to the west and the Negev desert to the east. Egypt lies to the south, the north and east border Israel. The urban sprawl of Gaza City, mostly stretching along and around the 3-km long Omar al-Mukhtar Street, covers much of the north. The other main towns of Khan Yunis and Rafah are near the southern border. The former Jewish settlements (evacuated in September, 2005) of Gush Erez in the northernmost tip, Netzarim in the middle and Gush Katif on the southern coast have the best agricultural land, but most of the land outside the cities is still farmed and Gazan produce like melons and papayas are exported worldwide. The export stuff tends to come from the settlements though, as you can't grow melons in a desert without government subsidies, and getting around EU bans on importing from the Occupied Territories requires a bit of governmental collusion.

Gaza isn't quite the pure hellhole you might expect given TV coverage, although needless to say the birthplace of the Intifada and one of the most overpopulated bits on the entire planet isn't exactly paradise on earth either. A UN report in 1952 stated that the Strip is too small to support its population of 300,000; there are now well over one million inhabitants and the January 2002|latest figures from the Palestinian Authority put unemployment at a whopping 79%. Most inhabitants are Palestinian refugees who fled the 1948 war but were denied entry into Egypt proper.

A bit of terminology disentanglement: Gaza Strip refers to the entire 40-by-6 kilometer patch of territory. Gaza City refers to the town itself, in the northern part of the strip, but due to huge population growth the City now sprawls into many of the surrounding villages and it's a tough task to say what is a part of the City and what isn't. Both city and strip are pretty much interchangeably referred to as Gaza and this guide will follow suit.

[edit] Cities

Gaza City
Rafah
Khan Younis
Beit Hanoun
Beit Lahia
Deir al-Balah

[edit] Understand

Gaza has been around for a while: the earliest known reference is an inscription in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, Egypt, dated 1500 BC, which states that the town of Gaza is 'flourishing'. And for a long time it did: a staging post on trade routes connecting Asia and Persia with Arabia, Egypt and Africa, even the name means "treasure" in Arabic. Alexander the Great laid siege to the town in 332 BC, executing 10,000 defenders after being held off for two months. Later, the town was held by the Romans, the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans and briefly even by the French in 1799, when Napoleon Bonaparte set up camp on his way to defeat in Egypt. The Turks took it back, then lost it to the British in World War I. The Egyptian army grabbed it during the 1948 war that led to Israel's independence, opening camps for Palestinian refugees - and the current situation began when Israel occupied the Strip in 1967.

The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, [[Israel] agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for foreign security and for domestic security and public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank had begun in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but have been derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement.

According to the unilateral Disengagement Plan, Israel evacuated all Jewish towns on August 2005 and withdrew its troops by 12 September 2005. Israel, except many Jewish groups, regards the border with it as a frontier, although bears international responsiblity for external issues, such as air and sea. Thus, the current status of the Gaza Strip is rather uncertain, with only Hamas and Israel expected to control, as well as rule it.

[edit] Climate

Temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers.

[edit] Terrain

Flat to rolling, sand and dune covered coastal plain

Highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m

[edit] Get in

At time of writing, getting into Gaza is both difficult and unwise. In fact, as of around 2003, all would-be visitors were required to apply in advance for Israeli permission to enter the Strip. The application is usually submitted through your embassy in Israel and, in theory takes between 5-10 days. In practice, it can take months, and if you're not either a fully accredited journalist or an aid/human rights worker, you're unlikely to get permission to enter Gaza from Israel.

After the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza strip at 2005, it is also possible to enter Gaza from Egypt. Entry from Egypt does not require prior permission.

[edit] By plane

Gaza International Airport (GZA) was inaugurated on 24 November 1998. GZA has been largely closed since October 2000 by Israeli orders and its runway was destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces in December 2001.

[edit] By land

Gaza is completely closed off now. The only way in is through the Eretz crossing in the north, and then you need a permit from the Israeli Army. If you do have a permit, you need coordination with the Israeli Army, specifying when you are planning to go into, and more importantly, go out from Gaza.

When you passed through the Israelis side, you end up in a long barren concrete tunnel. Coming through the tunnel, you have to cross an even more barren no-mans-land. This can be a bit nervous, depending on the general situation in the area at the moment, and this is the most likely place for you to be shot at. After some hundred meters, you come to "Shamsa shamsa" (five five in Arabic), which marks the spot where Palestinian Arabs stop if they do not have coordination with the Israeli Army. Here you will find a bunch of taxi drivers, desperately waiting for business. On the way through the tunnel and no-mans-land you might be approached by Palestinian porters that want to help you with your luggage, for a fee.

Another hundred meter or so beyond Shamsa shamsa, there is a Hamas checkpoint.

[edit] By boat

The port of Gaza remains non-operational.

[edit] Get around

There is no public transport in Gaza, but most any vehicle will gladly turn into a taxi if you point at the roadside with an index finger. Travel up and down Omar al-Mukhtar St. will set you back one shekel; trips elsewhere are negotiable. It is advisable to watch your step if walking, since traffic is chaotic and sidewalks are largely non-existent.

[edit] Talk

The standard language is Arabic. Hebrew is also understood to some extent, but English is a safer option.

[edit] See

Gaza is not exactly a top tourist destination and most of its attractions have taken quite a beating during the past 50 years. The following are all in Gaza City.

The Great Mosque (Jamaa al-Akbar) makes up for its lacklustre appearance with an interesting history: it's a converted Crusader church built on the site of a Hellenic temple with pillars from a 3rd-century Jewish synagogue.

More educational might be a UNRWA-arranged visit to one of the refugee camps that dot the strip. The UNRWA office is on al-Azhar St, near the Islamic University, call ahead to see if they can arrange a little tour. Your most probable destination is the optimistically named Beach Camp, a warren of concrete huts and open sewers housing 63,000 people, built next to a sandy beach - and you can walk there on your own, 15 minutes to the north from the intersection of Omar al-Mukhtar St. with the seafront road. UNRWA wisely recommends avoiding military clothing. The Jabaliya refugee camp is also a nearby option.

[edit] Buy

The local currency is the Israeli shekel.

Undoubtedly the most fun thing to do in Gaza is to visit the PLO Flag Shop, a bit tough to find (ask around) but unmistakable once you spot it. It's the place to buy Palestinian flags, stickers, badges, and pennants. It was also famous for the legendary inflatable Yasser Arafat - a truly bizarre blow-up tennis racket thingy emblazoned with a map of Palestine on one side and a familiar fuzzy visage on the other - but as of January 2005, they only had one left, and weren't selling at any price.

[edit] Eat

Usual Arabic cheap eats are available anywhere. Head to the posh suburb of Rimal for fancier food; the restaurant in the Windmill Hotel is nice.

The seaside terrace restaurant of Al Diera hotel serves lovely mezes (small mediterranean-style dishes), including the Gazan speciality Daqqa (a sometimes very spicy chili salad, very nice). They also have some tasty main courses, try the shrimps in tomato sauce, baked in the oven and served in a clay pot. And don't miss out on the fresh strawberry juice! Enhancd with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, it is higly enjoyable.

Next to the hotel (north of it) there is a very good seafood & fish restaurant. Another famous restaurant in Gaz City well worth a visit is "Roots".

[edit] Drink

Due to increasingly strong Hamas influences alcohol is no longer available. The last place for a visitor to drink was the UN Club. However, the Club was bombed by unknown attackers on New Years' Eve 2006. Despite the prohibition, many Gazans drink at home with discretion, whiskey being highly prized. If you do manage to find some booze, however, you should not attempt to go out under the influence; you may land in a very bad situation indeed.

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Luxury

al Deira hotel is the height of Gazan luxury. Featuring massive rooms with a view of the sea, a pleasant (though by gaza's standards not superb) restaurant (with Shisha pipes, not allowed in the fine Oriental bedrooms) this is as good it gets. If you actually get in to Gaza then a visit here is a must. but they have all the politenss of posh hotels over the world - if you want warm family friendly service stay in Marna house, Gaza's oldest hotal and run by lovely people.

At the time of writing (October 2006) a large 5* chain hotel was being finalised.

[edit] Learn

[edit] Work

Realistically, if you are not either an aid worker, journalist or diplomat, there is no work for you in Gaza. There are a number of NGOs offering internships, however, such as the Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights in Gaza, the Palestinian Center For Human Rights and others.

[edit] Stay safe

The Gaza Strip is occasionally subject to Israeli military operations (which include aerial bombardment as well as ground incursions). Palestinian Arab factions are also in turmoil; In June 2007, after weeks of fighting Hamas managed to seize unquestioned control of the Strip. While Hamas has managed to curb crime levels in Gaza, some members have been known to beat journalists attempting to cover demonstrations against Hamas. In general, use common sense and avoid these kinds of situations. Consult your embassy for advice and current conditions before setting out. Unlike the West Bank travel documentation does not need to be kept at hand at all times.

See also War zone safety.

[edit] Stay healthy

Tap water in Gaza is not potable and is often dangerously dirty. Some hotels may use filters but if in doubt, just buy bottles.

[edit] Respect

Women should dress conservatively, especially if entering refugee camps. Conservatively here means, within Gaza City a top with long sleeves and absolutely nothing low cut in the front. Ideally, tops should also be long. Trousers are suitable as long as they are loose and full length, not capri pants.

[edit] Contact