The Gaza Strip is a narrow territory on the eastern Mediterranean coast, bordered by Egypt to the south and Israel to the north and east. It is one of the most densely populated places on earth, home to over two million people in an area of just 365 square kilometres.
Gaza has a long history stretching back to antiquity — it was an important trading post on the route between Egypt and the Levant. The Old City of Gaza contained the Great Mosque of Gaza, the Church of Saint Porphyrius, Qasr al-Basha, the Hamam al-Sammara, and the Sayed al-Hashim Mosque. South of Gaza City, Khan Younis preserves the remains of a Mamluk caravanserai, and Rafah sits on the Egyptian border. The ancient port of Anthedon Harbour lies under the dunes north of the city, and the long Mediterranean Gaza Beach runs the length of the strip.
Decades of conflict have made the territory extremely difficult to visit, and the war that began in late 2023 has caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, historic sites, and civilian neighbourhoods. Independent travel to Gaza is not currently feasible.