A Brief History of Gaza Ancient and Modern

Summary

The video script provides a comprehensive historical overview of the conflict involving Israel, Hamas, and the city of Gaza. It traces the region's significance from biblical times, through various empires, to modern political developments. Key events highlighted include the Balfour Declaration, the British Mandate, the 1947 UN Partition Plan, the 1948 Israeli Declaration of Independence, the Six-Day War, and the Oslo Accords. The narrative emphasizes the cyclical nature of the conflict, often initiated by Hamas, and the impact on civilians, particularly the Israeli population subjected to rocket attacks. The speaker also discusses the humanitarian aid provided by Israel to Gaza, the misuse of international aid for terror infrastructure, and the plight of Christians under Hamas rule. The summary concludes with a call for peace and prayer for both the Israeli and Gazan people, underscoring the complexity and human cost of the ongoing conflict.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The city of Gaza is historically significant and mentioned negatively in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.
• 🏺 Gaza was a Canaanite settlement and a key Philistine city, remaining independent and often in conflict with the Israelites.
• 🏛️ In Roman times, Gaza was rebuilt by Pompey Magnus and later granted to Herod the Great, becoming a diverse and international city.
• ⛪️ After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Romans renamed the area 'Palestina' as an insult to the Jews, a term first used around 135-136 A.D.
• 🕌 Islam arrived in Gaza in 634 A.D., and the city remained predominantly Muslim through various civil wars.
• 🏰 The Ottoman Empire controlled Gaza until World War I, when Britain took over after defeating the Ottomans.
• 📜 The Balfour Declaration in 1917 marked the beginning of international recognition for a Jewish homeland, which included modern-day Israel and parts of other countries.
• 🔄 The British Mandate reduced the size of the Jewish National Home in 1921, separating Transjordan from the land designated for Jewish people.
• 🗺️ The 1947 UN Partition Plan divided the land into Jewish and Arab states, with Gaza designated for the Arab state, but the plan was rejected by the Arabs.
• 🛡️ Israel was established in 1948 and, after the Six-Day War in 1967, took control of the Gaza Strip, which remained under Israeli control until the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt.
• 🕊️ Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005 led to a blockade by Egypt and Israel, and Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 after a violent conflict with the Palestinian Authority.
• ⛽️ Despite the conflict, Israel has provided aid and relief to Gaza, but much of the international aid has been misused for building terror infrastructure rather than for the development of the people.
• 🙏 The presence of Christians in Gaza has been significantly diminished since Hamas came to power, with many leaving or being persecuted under the Islamic regime.
• ⏳ The Iron Dome system was developed in response to the continuous rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, highlighting the ongoing conflict and need for defense.

Q & A

What is the historical significance of the city of Gaza in biblical times?

The city of Gaza is mentioned several times in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, often in a negative context. It was originally a Canaanite settlement and later became a principal Philistine city, with a history of conflict with the Israelites.

How did the city of Gaza change hands throughout history?

Gaza has been under the control of various empires and powers, including the Canaanites, Philistines, Israelites, Romans, Byzantines, Islamic Caliphates, Crusaders, Mongols, Mamluks, Ottomans, and British, before the modern Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.

What was the significance of the Balfour Declaration in relation to Gaza and the broader Middle East?

The Balfour Declaration was a policy statement issued by the British government in 1917 that expressed support for the establishment of a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine, which included the area of what is now Israel and Gaza.

How did the Gaza Strip end up under Egyptian control after World War I?

After World War I, the British conquered the region from the Ottoman Empire, including Gaza. However, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip, which remained under Egyptian control until the Six-Day War in 1967.

What was the Oslo Accords and how did it affect the Gaza Strip?

The Oslo Accords were agreements signed in the 1990s between Israel and the PLO, which called for Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho. This led to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority there.

Why did Israel disengage from the Gaza Strip in 2005?

Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005 involved the withdrawal of all Israeli military and civilian presence from the area. This was a strategic decision by the Israeli government, which sought to reduce friction with the Palestinian population and halt settlement activities in the region.

How did the situation in Gaza change after Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006?

After Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections, a violent conflict ensued between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, resulting in Hamas forcibly seizing control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Since then, Hamas has been the de facto authority in Gaza, leading to a period of ongoing conflict and isolation.

What is the Iron Dome system and why was it developed?

The Iron Dome is an Israeli anti-missile system designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. It was developed in response to the ongoing rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip targeting Israeli civilians.

What has been the impact of the conflict on the Christian community in Gaza?

The Christian community in Gaza has significantly diminished since Hamas took control. Many Christians have been forced to leave or have been persecuted, leading to a decline in religious freedom and an increase in Islamic fundamentalism in the region.

How does the speaker describe the current situation and the Israeli perspective on the conflict with Hamas?

The speaker describes the current situation as a conflict initiated by Hamas through attacks on Israeli civilians, and not by Israel. Israel's goal, as stated, is to remove the Hamas regime, which it views as an evil entity. The speaker emphasizes that aid and relief have been provided by Israel to Gaza, despite the conflict.

What is the importance of the historical context in understanding the current situation in Gaza?

Understanding the historical context is crucial as it provides a backdrop for the ongoing political, religious, and territorial disputes. It helps to clarify how the region has been shaped by various powers and events, leading to the current complex situation between Israel and Hamas.

Outlines

00:00

🏛 Biblical and Historical Context of Gaza

The first paragraph provides an overview of the historical significance of Gaza, from biblical times to the modern era. It mentions Gaza's negative portrayal in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Historically, Gaza was a Canaanite settlement and a key Philistine city, which remained independent and adversarial towards Israel. The paragraph also discusses the city's changing hands through various empires, its rebuilding by Pompey Magnus and later grant to Herod the Great, and its diverse population. It highlights the renaming of the region to 'Palestina' by the Romans following the suppression of the second Jewish revolt, the introduction of Islam in 634 A.D., and the subsequent control by the Ottoman Empire until World War I. The section concludes with the British Mandate period and the Balfour Declaration, which promised a Jewish homeland in the region.

05:00

🗺 Partition Plans and the Establishment of Israel

The second paragraph delves into the geopolitical changes during the British Mandate, leading to the United Nations-approved partition plan in 1947. This plan divided the land into Jewish and Arab states, with Gaza being designated to the Arab part. The Jewish population accepted the plan, but the Arabs rejected it, leading to the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The paragraph describes the British departure and the subsequent Israeli declaration of statehood, followed by invasions from surrounding countries. It details the outcome of the war, where Israel gained control of most of the land, including the Gaza Strip, which remained under Egyptian control. The narrative then moves to the Six-Day War in 1967, where Israel conquered the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, and other territories.

10:02

🕊️ Peace Efforts and the Control of Gaza Strip

The third paragraph discusses the aftermath of the Six-Day War, including Israel's attempts to negotiate land for peace, which were refused by Arab nations. It recounts the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the eventual peace agreement between Israel and Egypt in 1979, which led to the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. However, Egypt refused to take control of the Gaza Strip, leaving it under Israeli control. The paragraph also covers the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, which established Palestinian administration in Gaza and Jericho. It describes the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2005 and the subsequent blockade by Egypt and Israel. The election of Hamas in 2006 and its violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007 is also detailed, along with the ongoing conflict and attacks against Israeli civilians.

15:04

✡️ The Current Conflict and the Impact on Gaza

The fourth and final paragraph focuses on the current conflict, emphasizing that Israel's military operations are a response to Hamas's aggression, not an initiation of conflict. It provides a statistic about the continuous rocket attacks on Israel since 2001 and the development of the Iron Dome system in response. The paragraph discusses the Israeli military's actions in Gaza, highlighting the goal to remove the Hamas regime. It also addresses the situation of Christians in Gaza, noting their decline and persecution under Hamas rule. The narrative concludes with a call for prayers for both Israelis and Gazans, acknowledging the dire need for peace and God's mercy.

Keywords

💡Gaza

Gaza is a city and a small self-governing Palestinian territory bordering Israel on the west and Egypt on the south, with a significant historical and religious background. In the video, Gaza is central to the discussion of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with references to its biblical mentions and its strategic importance throughout history.

💡Israel

Israel is a country in the Middle East, established as a Jewish state in 1948. The video discusses Israel's historical claims to the land, its establishment, and subsequent conflicts with neighboring countries and groups, particularly focusing on the relationship with Gaza and Hamas.

💡Hamas

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist and militant group that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. The video describes Hamas as the entity with which Israel is in conflict, highlighting its role in initiating attacks against Israeli civilians and its control over Gaza.

💡Philistines

The Philistines were an ancient people who lived in a region that coincides with the modern Gaza Strip. The term is used in the video to illustrate the long-standing historical context of the region, noting that Gaza was one of their principal cities and was in conflict with the ancient Israelites.

💡Balfour Declaration

The Balfour Declaration was a statement issued by the British government during World War I announcing support for the establishment of a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine. The video mentions this as a significant policy that laid the groundwork for later territorial allocations and conflicts.

💡Six-Day War

The Six-Day War was a conflict in 1967 between Israel and neighboring Arab countries, during which Israel gained control of several territories, including the Gaza Strip. The video discusses this war as a pivotal moment that changed the dynamics of control in the region.

💡Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords were a set of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the 1990s that were intended to lead to Palestinian self-governance. The video references these accords as part of the efforts to establish peace and administration in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

💡Iron Dome

The Iron Dome is an Israeli anti-missile system designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. The video discusses the development of the Iron Dome in response to rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip targeting Israeli civilians.

💡Yom Kippur War

The Yom Kippur War refers to the 1973 conflict between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. The video mentions this war to highlight a past instance of surprise attacks against Israel, drawing parallels with more recent events.

💡Canaanite

The Canaanites were an ancient group of people who lived in the area known as Canaan, which includes modern-day Gaza. The video uses the term to describe the original inhabitants of Gaza, setting the stage for the region's long and complex history.

💡Christian Persecution

The video discusses the persecution of Christians in Gaza, particularly after Hamas came to power. It highlights the decline in the Christian population due to intimidation and violence, emphasizing the impact on religious freedom and the overall quality of life in the region.

Highlights

The city of Gaza is mentioned in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, often negatively.

Gaza was originally a Canaanite settlement and later a principal Philistine city.

The Israelites, led by Joshua, conquered most of the land but Gaza remained independent and hostile.

Gaza was rebuilt by Roman general Pompey Magnus and later granted to Herod the Great.

In 70 A.D., after the destruction of the Second Temple, Jews were banned from Jerusalem but allowed to stay elsewhere in the country.

The term 'Palestina' was first used by the Romans as an insult to the Jews after the second Jewish revolt.

Islam first appeared in Gaza in 634 A.D., and the city remained mostly Muslim through various civil wars.

The Ottoman Empire controlled Gaza until World War I, when Britain took over.

The Balfour Declaration in 1917 viewed positively the establishment of a Jewish state in the British mandate.

The British Mandate initially included present-day Israel, Jordan, parts of Egypt, and possibly Iraq.

In 1947, the League of Nations voted to partition the land of Israel into separate Jewish and Arab states.

The Gaza Strip was designated to the Arab part of the partition plan but remained under Egyptian control.

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

Israel offered to return the Gaza Strip to Egypt in the 1979 peace agreement, but Egypt refused.

The Oslo Accords in the 1990s called for Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and Jericho.

In 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip, leading to a blockade by Egypt and Israel.

Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority in 2007 after winning the majority in elections.

Since 2001, there has not been a single year without rockets attacking Israeli cities and civilians.

Israel has developed the Iron Dome anti-missile system in response to rocket attacks.

Aid and relief from Israel to Gaza Strip includes medical supplies, power, water, and fuel.

The presence of Christians in Gaza has significantly diminished since Hamas came to power, with many leaving or being murdered.

Transcripts

Shalom, everyone.

We've been receiving a lot of questions over the past month with the war

that Israel has with Hamas regarding the city of Gaza.

What is the history?

What is the context that all of this is taking place?

And so we've looked at biblical history all the way through our modern era.

And we wanted to present a few key points for your information.

So in biblical history, the city of Gaza is actually mentioned

quite a few times, both in the Hebrew Bible as well as in the New Testament.

Interestingly enough, it is always mentioned

in a negative light in some way, unfortunately.

Now, in terms of looking back at human history from biblical times.

So already in 2000 B.C., all the way to 30 B.C., we see that Gaza

was originally a Canaanite settlement and eventually it became one of the

principal Philistine's cities.

We see Samson visiting there and others.

When the Israelites came into the land from Egypt, led by Joshua,

the Israelites conquered most of the land.

But the Gaza and the other Philistine cities

remained intact, independent, and continued to attack Israel

for the vast majority of the Israelite history.

The whole area in Gaza changed hands regularly

between different empires in the decades and centuries that followed.

And when we get to the Roman era, Gaza was rebuilt by the Roman general,

Pompey Magnus, and actually it was granted to Herod Herod

the Great that we read about in the New Testament 30 years later on it.

This time it had a diverse population.

It had Greeks, and Romans, and Jews, and Egyptians, and Persians, and Nabateans.

So it was a very international city at that time.

In 70 A.D. the second temple, Herod's temple, is destroyed

and the Jews are banned from being in Jerusalem.

However, they were allowed to stay in the remainder of the country and in 132

to 135 begin what's called

the second Jewish revolt against the Romans.

It was a major event.

And, you know, some victories for the Jewish population.

But eventually the Romans came in full force

with four different legions and crushed the Jewish revolt.

And as a revenge and as an insult to the Jews,

they renamed the entire area, Palestina.

And that was after Israel sworn enemies of the past, the Philistines.

And that was, again, as an insult to the Jews.

And this is when the term was first use.

135 to 136 A.D..

Moving on from the Roman era all the way to the Islamic era,

Islam first appears in Gaza in 634 A.D.

At that time, Gaza was besieged by the resident Islamic army.

Gaza remained mostly Muslim with many civil wars through the decades.

In 1517 the Ottoman Empire.

Today's Turkey also a muslim empire,

takes over the entire area and the city of Gaza.

It remained in power in the area and in control

of the city of Gaza all the way through World War I.

At that time, Britain conquered the entire region

from the Ottomans, and that included the city of Gaza.

Now I want to spend a little more time on the history from

the First World War until today, including some maps,

because this is very important to understand.

On the 2nd of November 1917, the British Foreign Secretary,

Lord Arthur Belfer, issued a statement by the British government.

And actually it was also

in the League of Nations, which later became the United Nations,

a policy statement that declares that Great Britain

is viewing positively the establishing of a Jewish state

in the British mandate in the Levant, in the Middle East.

And as you can see on the map, the initial land that was allotted

was huge.

It includes today's Israel and all of Jordan,

part of today's Egypt and possibly parts of today Iraq.

The Balfour Declaration regarding the promise of a homeland

for the Jewish people was later accepted internationally

and incorporated into various resolutions.

Now, moving on from there, in just a few years, in 1921,

the British decided to decrease the size of the Jewish National Home,

and therefore they separated Transjordan.

You can see on the map that the League of Nations later

becoming the United Nations, approved the changed mandate,

which took place or took effect in 1923.

As you can see, everything from a east to the Jordan River

became what's called what was then called Transjordan.

And the land of Israel designated for the Jewish people

remained what you see on the left side of the map.

Now, from 1923, the British are still,

you know, executing their mandate from the United Nations.

And in 1947, on a very historic

day following the Holocaust in 29th of November, 1947,

the League of Nations takes a historic vote

and they decide to partition the land of Israel.

You can see on the map the orange part is the Arab state

that will be joined to Transjordan, the blue is the Jewish state.

Now, what's interesting to see is that the blue

parts are the parts of the land that are uninhabited.

Swamps, desert, unusable.

All the good parts of the land are part of Transjordan.

Now, interestingly,

if you look on the left hand side, you can see that the city of Gaza

was designated to the Transjordan or Arab part of the partition.

The Jewish population accepted the partition plan.

The Arabs absolutely refused.

And in fact, five surrounding countries declared war

on the young Jewish state of Israel.

The British were preparing to leave the country,

and in this interim period, as they were leaving the Jewish population,

hearing the threats from the surrounding Arab countries prepared for war.

On the 15th of May 1948, our first Prime Minister,

David Ben-Gurion, declared the state of Israel.

Very shortly following that or immediately following that, five different armies

invaded Israel from all sides

and attacked the young state.

The UN that had some supposedly some troops,

I mean, they were just quickly overtaken.

And it began as some sort of a survival war

for the small Jewish state, less than a million Jews at the time.

However, after about a year of fighting, the Jews prevailed.

And the result was, as you can see on the map,

that most of the land was taken by the Jewish people.

There was a part of the Transjordan that you can see designated.

Then there in an orange that belonged

to Jordan Transjordan Kingdom.

And then you can see in red what we call now the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza Strip remained under Egyptian control.

Moving on from there to 1967.

And then at that time was the Six-Day War.

Now, importantly, in November 1966,

an Egyptian Syrian defense agreement was signed.

Now, that was the situation until 1967.

In 1966, actually the year before,

Egypt and Syria signed an agreement, like a defense agreement,

that they're going to defend each other against the aggression of of Israel.

Now, in May of 1967, Egypt

has decided to block the Tiran Straits.

That was very important.

Trade position for Israel.

And by that, they declared war in a miraculous, swift Six-Day War.

The young nation of Israel has conquered the entire Sinai

Peninsula, including the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

They, our military has conquered parts of Transjordan from Jordan

and parts of the Golan Heights from Syria.

They changed the dynamics in the area completely.

From this point on, I mean, at that point, the Gaza Strip

and the city of Gaza has become under Israeli control.

The period between 1967 and 1979

was dramatic in various ways.

After the Six-Day War, Israel tried to negotiate

a deal of land for peace with the surrounding Arab nations.

They refused.

And actually, in fact, in October of 1973, a surprise war by Syria.

Egypt, in coordination with other Arab nations around started against Israel.

That took place in the holiest day of the year in Israel.

The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur.

It was a very, very, very difficult war.

And Israel lost many, many, many lives.

It looked very bleak at the beginning.

But eventually Israel has pushed back the surrounding countries

to the borders that you see on the board.

Following that, on March 1979,

the leader of the Arab world and a sworn enemy of Israel.

Egypt at the time has decided to sign a peace agreement with Israel.

The agreement was that Israel returns all the land.

You see the Sinai Peninsula on the map to Egypt.

In return for peace.

And Israel was willing to do that and said, and we're going to give you

all the land, including the city of Gaza and the Gaza Strip.

The Egyptians absolutely refused to receive the Gaza Strip back

and the government of Israel accepted their refusal and the Gaza Strip

remained under Israeli control following the peace agreement with Egypt.

Now, from 1979, all the way to 2005,

there were different things that were going on.

I mean, in the Oslo Peace Accords during the early nineties,

Israel tried repeatedly to give the Gaza Strip back to Egypt,

but Egypt kept resisting and refusing.

In 1993, Israel and the PLO

a up to that point, a terrorist organization.

At that time, Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords

that have been calling for Palestinian administration

of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho.

Those agreements were implemented in 1994.

Now, Israeli forces

decided to withdraw from Gaza,

leaving the new Palestinian National Authority, National Guard

of the Palestinians to administer

and police the city of Gaza and the Gaza Strip.

In fact, the state of Israel provided weapons

to the Palestinian Authority to to complete this task.

So that began in 1994.

Following through to a very formative period in the Gaza

Strip between 2005 and 2007.

Now, in 2005, the government of Israel implemented

its unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip.

Now, at that point, it's important to say

most of the policing is actually done by the Palestinian Authority.

But there are still farmers in different kinds of towns

and villages of Jewish people, of Israelis in the Gaza Strip.

That was the time to disengage.

It means that Israel is withdrawing all of its military

and all of its civilians off in a way of the Gaza Strip.

Now, in response to Israel, unilateral

action, Egypt imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip

and following by Israel doing that as well.

And that has been the situation for a while at that period,

something very importantly that took place among the Palestinian

people happened in 2006 and 2007. In 2006,

the Palestinian Authority had an elections and in their parliament

elections, the PLO suffered a massive and decisive loss

to Hamas, up to that point, a small extremist Islamic group.

And following that, in 2007, in a bloody war,

in a bloody conflict that Hamas seized by force,

seized control of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority.

And that has been the situation since 2007.

So there were election where Hamas actually won the majority,

but it forcefully overturned

the PLO and took complete control

of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

Now, in the period from that time, from 2007/2008,

all the way to 2023 to our present day,

there have been multiple rounds of attacks against Israeli civilians.

There were direct, direct terror attacks

where individuals were attack or family and also

different rounds of rockets shooting from the Gaza Strip

to different Israeli cities, villages and hurting many, killing many.

That was when the Iron Dome anti-missile system

has been developed and applied in Israel.

That was the situation the last 15 years.

On October 7th of this year, Hamas

launched a coordinated land, sea and air assault.

It happened on the same Gregorian date

as the Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement war of 1973.

50 years. Exactly.

And it happened on another holy day for Jewish people.

The great last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

And during that surprise attack, over 1400

Israelis were murdered in those attacks.

Children, women, elderly people,

more than 200 people were kidnaped to the Gaza Strip

in many, many, many more were wounded.

On the following day, Israel declared war for the first time against Hamas.

And this was the first time war was declared formal war

since the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

Over the past five weeks, we've seen the Israeli military

taking over the city of Gaza.

This war is not against the Palestinian people.

It's against the evil Hamas regime.

And that's the goal of the state of Israel to remove it.

Here's an interesting statistic.

Since 2001, there has not been a single year

without rockets attacking different cities and civilians in Israel.

As you can see, there are different years when there was a dramatic increase.

And in response to those increases, the Israeli government, the Israeli army

has responded in short term military activity.

What you can see on the right hand of the screen is particularly interesting.

Try to imagine this map signifies the time you have from the time

a rocket is launched all the way to you have to run to your safe room.

So it's anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute and a half.

So it's just that's been the reality in Israel for the last 20 some years.

So as we come to summarize

this shortest tree of Gaza, what's important for me to mention

is not once during this entire period

was the military operation initiated by Israel.

Israel never started the conflict.

It was always started by missiles shooting at civilian

cities, towns and so on in Israel.

Now, throughout this period,

then that's another point that's important for me to mention.

Aid and relief came from Israel

to the Gaza Strip and the city of Gaza.

So it was everything from emergency surgeries, medical supplies,

power from the electric company, water, fuel and so on and so on.

Unfortunately, you know, now we see that much of

it was used or rather abused to build the terror

infrastructure and not to develop the the people of Gaza.

That is true, by the way, for billions of dollars coming to the Gaza

Strip from the United States, from Europe, from many places around the world.

Now, you know, a lot of Israelis will tell you

we are seeking peace with the Palestinian people

and we can it's easy to imagine if Israel puts down its weapon,

There's you know, Israel is destroyed.

If Hamas puts down its weapon, there can be peace

in this part of the land.

Now, one last thing that's important to know before 2005,

there was a presence of followers of Christ

of all denominations in the city of Gaza and in the Gaza Strip.

There were actually times when there were a fairly sizable community,

but they remained throughout all those turmoils

in the 20th and early 21st century, when Hamas came to power, it

quenched and humiliated the few Christians that remain there.

Most of them left or were murdered.

There are still few Christians and believers in the Gaza Strip,

but they live under a iron fist of Islamic oppression.

With that, the

freedom of religion, the freedom to worship

your God, to worship according to your faith

and the general quality of life of the people in Gaza has took

a huge nosedive since the Hamas regime violently took control of the Gaza Strip.

So pray for the people of Israel, pray for the people of Gaza.

We are in dire need of God's mercy.

But it was important for us to show you a little bit of the history

and where things came from to the situation that we are at.