Those who come to Palestine wonder if it is possible to enter Gaza and how they can do so. Many people have big concerns about the security situation in Gaza where it witnessed several wars in the last 8 years that led to the destruction of many establishments, houses, and public buildings.
To those who do not know Gaza Strip very well is located on the Mediterranean Sea coast. It shares its borders with Egypt about 11 km to the southwest, and with Israel to the north and east. The territory is approximately 41 km in length and about 12 km in width. It is comprised of a total area of 365 square kilometers. Gaza has an approximate population of 1.85 million people which means that Gaza is the most densely populated polity on earth.
Are Gaza and West Bank connected?
Gaza and West Bank are not connected to each other, there is a crossing border that divided both of them. This crossing point called “Erez” is controlled fully by Israeli authorities. Entering Gaza is a bit difficult from both sides either through Gaza or Egypt, Israeli authorities require those who want to enter special permission based on reasonable reasons. Some country’s embassies do not advice their citizens to enter Gaza such as the United States, Canada, and some others.
What if you have got permission to enter Gaza?
If you got the permission then it is easy to enter Gaza even it might take a quite long time. When you arrive at the crossing border, you have to hand in your passport. At Erez border, your permission must be checked by the authorities and then you follow the signs that lead you out of the building, it takes 10 minutes to walk across the buffer zone to where you can find a taxi arranged for a driver to pick you up from there. Don’t forget one important issue that the border is a military installation which means that taking photos is not allowed.
What the situation in Gaza looks like? What are the landmarks of Gaza?
The situation in Gaza is quite hard where people for example get less electricity than Palestinians who live in West Bank. Nonetheless, Gaza is home to many archaeological and historical sites, including the Al-Aumari Mosque which is the oldest and the biggest mosque in all of Gaza. The mosque has an area of 4100 square meters. The Greek Orthodox Church is located in the Al-Zaitoon neighborhood. It dates back to the Mamaluke era of the fifth century.
There is mosaic flooring, discovered in 1966, located near the Gaza port. This flooring dates to the sixth century. Um Amer Hill which is located to the south of Al-Nusairat Camp also contains colored mosaic flooring dating back to the Byzantine era. In addition to these sites, Gaza also contains a Roman Byzantine cemetery as well as a Baroque castle which was built in 1387.
How to reach us out?
Please send an email to info@gopalestine.org. In the body of the email tell us of your interest or ask any questions you may have. Very shortly we will reply to you!