Understanding the Gaza Envelope: A region shaped by history and clashes

In every clash or war that unfolds in the Gaza Strip, the term "Gaza Envelope" invariably comes to the forefront. 

What exactly is the Gaza Envelope?

In 1948, during the Nakba (the Palestinian exodus), thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes and lands due to the success of Jewish groups in using armed force to secure control over the majority of Palestine and declare the establishment of the State of Israel.

At that time, migration to the Gaza Strip, which covers an area of 360 square kilometers, became a refuge for those Palestinians that Jews could not conquer.

Nineteen years later, in 1967, Israelis seized control of the Gaza Strip during the Six-Day War. 

However, they withdrew from the territory in 2005, dismantling all settlements and evacuating more than eight thousand settlers.

But, this military and civilian withdrawal was not final.

Israel established the "Gaza Envelope," a buffer zone along the land borders with the Strip, housing approximately 55,000 settlers. Most of these settlers are from Eastern Jewish backgrounds and are considered far-right extremists. Most of them left the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The Israeli government offers substantial incentives to the Envelope residents to ensure its continued existence as a geographical and demographic barrier between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This policy aims to prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state.