1 2 3 4 2 3 Chapter One | The Geographic-Physical Structure of the Gaza Strip Chapter One The Geographic-Physical Structure of the Gaza Strip and its Strategic Effects The structure of the Gaza Strip and its importance The term 'Gaza Strip' was created at the end of the Independence War (1948) as a result of the borderline established at the end of the war. On February 24, 1949, the Armis�ce Agreement between Israel and Egypt was signed in Rhodes, Greece. The en�re Negev remained within the borders of the State of Israel, except for the coastal strip that stretched from Rafah to the north of Beit Hanun, which was ruled by the Egyp�an army.1 The length of the strip was 45 km, and its width varied between 7 km in the north to 12 km in the south. The total area of the strip amounted to 362 square kilometers.2 Geomorphologically, the Gaza Strip is a direct con�nua�on of the southern coastal plaine, comprised of three main eolianite (Arabic: Kurkar) ridges with two drainage valleys between them. The Gaza Strip is the southernmost �p of this structure.3 These eolianite hills are former sand dunes that remained in one place due to the retreat of sea levels westward. Due to chemical processes, these sand dunes hardened and turned into sandstone. Between the eolianite ridges stretches a narrow, long valley, which is only one to two kilometers wide and serves as a 'drainage pipe' through which rainwater drains on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. that is the reason it is called a 'Drainage Valley'.4 The coastal valley is characterized by parallel longitudinal strips running from north to south. The westernmost strip consists of shi�ing sands that originate from the Nile and the seabed.5 The key transporta�on artery of the Gaza Strip runs along the en�re length of the western drainage valley. Both eolianite ridges, the western one and the middle one, have a significant role vis-a-vis two typical phenomena of the Gaza Strip: Stopping the shi�ing sands and blocking of the streams flowing into the sea .6 The structure of the coastal valley determined the loca�on of the interna�onal Via Maris that ran along it. In ancient �mes, the via maris stretched through the drainage valley, parallel to the sand dunes and eolianite ridges. Gaza also lay at the �p of the Petra-Gaza road used to transport goods from the Arabian Peninsula region to the port of Gaza.7 The port cons�tuted the southern sea gate of Israel, the eastern side of the Jordan River and Arabian Peninsula for at least 1300 years, between the Hellenis�c era and the end of the first millenium C.E.8 The strategic importance of the Gaza Strip as a southwestern gateway to Israel, both on land and at sea, stemmed from its presence, through long periods in an�quity, on an interna�onal crossroads: Between the 'via maris' that served as a key traffic lane along the coast, from west to north, and the 'Spice Trail' that stretched from the south, from the Arabian Peninsula, to the port of Gaza, the southern sea gate of the Land of Israel .9 Gaza was also significant as far as security is concerned, for many years. Gaza was the first permanent se�lement for the army that came from the south, from the direc�on of Egypt, a�er crossing the Sinai Desert on its way to the Land of Israel; It also served as the last supply post for the army that came down from the north, before crossing the desert. This reality led to Gaza Strip becoming a ba�leground throughout its history,10 and it was clear to all that controlling that entrance gate means the preven�on of hos�le and unfriendly elements from entering the Land of Israel. Throughout the genera�ons, conquerors of this land, star�ng with Amenhotep II, king of Egypt, who conquered the Land of Israel in the second millennium BC, around a century before the exodus from Egypt; to Pharaoh-Shoshenq, Ptolemy I, Napoleon and General Allenby; have mostly began their occupa�on campaigns in the Gaza region, as they were making their way inland. Contrary to them, Sennacherib and Alexander the Great fought in Gaza the other way around - from the Land of Israel towards Egypt. The Egyp�an army also ini�ated its invasion into the Land of Israel during the Independence War (1948) from the Gaza region.11 Determining the Gaza Strip Boundaries When the Independence War (1948) ended, Gaza and its surrounding area, from Beit Hanun to Rafah, remained under Egyp�an control. The area that stretched beyond the interna�onal borderline was given the name 'Gaza Strip.' The 200,000 Arabs from the southern region and the Negev, who fled to Gaza during the Independence War (1948), tripled the amount of its Arab popula�on, that numbered 80,000 before the Independence War. The refugees were housed in old Bri�sh military camps. These became refugee camps, and since that day, and decades later, the Arab countries did everything they could to curb the rehabilita�on and rescue of these refugees from the harsh reality they found themselves in. When the Independence War (1948) ended, the borderline that separated between the Egyp�an army and Israel was different from what was later determined as the 'Green Line.' The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) held mul�ple territories south of the Gaza Strip, south of Rafah (around the 1 Gush Ka�f Center - a view of the agricultural areas of the Arabs of the region along the coast 2 The northern fence of the Gaza Strip - a view of the ar�ficial route as it crosses the natural colors of the landscape 3 The estuary of the Besor Stream - the sand prevents the flow of water from reaching the sea 4 Gaza Port - the breakwater built by the Pales�nians 5 The sand dune and the Acacia Salinga trees near Ganei Tal
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