The city of Gaza has steadfastly endured the successive trials of time, with its name changing alongside the nations that contended for it. The Persians referred to it as "Hazatu," while the Hebrews named it "Gaza," meaning "the strong." The Canaanites called it "Hazani," and the Egyptians named it "Gazato." Arabs referred to it as "Gaza Hashim," in honor of Hashim bin Abd Manaf, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who died and was buried there while returning from his trade to the Hejaz.
The history of the city of Gaza, like that of all of Palestine, is a glorious history preserved and understood by successive generations. Gaza has maintained its Arab name up to the present day, emphasizing its Arab identity despite the repeated occupations that the city has endured.
Gaza was the last obstacle faced by Alexander the Great in his march toward Egypt following the Battle of "Asos." Alexander stood before its formidable walls, unable to breach them for two months and was wounded during the siege in 330 B.C. When he eventually occupied it, he took the commander of its Arab garrison, tied him to horse-drawn chariots, and paraded him around the wall until he was killed. On another occasion, when the Maccabees besieged it, King Harith IV of the Nabataeans came to its aid, causing the Maccabees to flee and lift the siege.
Gaza served as a base for Amr ibn al-As before his campaign into Egypt, and it was also a stronghold for the armies of the Ayyubids, King Salih Ismail, and Al-Nasir Dawood. During October 1244, Rukn al-Din Baybars led the sultan's army into a fierce battle against the Frankish armies, known as the most catastrophic calamity to befall the Crusaders after the Battle of "Hattin" (584 AH/1187 AD) on Palestinian soil. This battle was referred to by Frankish historians as the "Second Battle of Hattin," with estimates of around thirty thousand of their soldiers killed, and eight hundred captives were taken to Egypt.
It is said that the people of Gaza were those whom the Children of Israel feared; (They said, "O Moses, indeed in it are a people of formidable strength, and indeed, we will not enter it until they leave it; and if they leave it, then we will enter.") (Al-Ma'idah: 22). They were unable to enter the Holy Land again until this miserable time. The spirit of resilience and resistance in this city is as ancient as history itself, as demonstrated by Swiss scholar Heinrich Liegl, who wrote a study titled "The Spirit of Ancient Resistance in Gaza." He stated that the spirit of resistance is not a product of the current age in this city, but rather a series of interconnected links, as this city possesses written documents dating back to the fifteenth century B.C. Among these is an account of what Polybius (120 B.C.), a king of the Seleucid Syria, did when he invaded Gaza, praising its inhabitants, their solidarity, and the courage they embodied in resisting the Persian invasion and standing against Alexander.
Before the Muslims opened Gaza, Arabs frequently visited it for trade. Among those who visited was Umayyah ibn al-Salt al-Thaqafi, and Hashim bin Abd Manaf, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away there. His grave remains there to this day, giving rise to the name "Gaza Hashim."
Furthermore, the Prophet’s father, Abdullah bin Abd al-Muttalib, had also traveled to Gaza for trade. After returning from there to Hejaz, he fell ill on his way to Medina and died there.
When the Prophet's (peace be upon him) letter reached Emperor Heraclius inviting him to Islam, the emperor called for his sheriff and ordered him to look for someone from the tribe of Muhammad in Syria. The sheriff found Abu Sufyan bin Harb and a number of traders from Quraish in Gaza, who had come for trade. He took them from Gaza and sent them to Heraclius in Jerusalem. The account of the conversation that took place between them and Heraclius is famous and recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari.
Geographic Location and Its Strategic Importance
The Gaza Strip is the southern region of the Palestinian coast along the Mediterranean Sea. It is shaped like a narrow band located to the northeast of the Sinai Peninsula, extending over an area of approximately 360 square kilometers, with a length of 41 kilometers, while its width ranges between 6 and 12 kilometers. The Gaza Strip borders the occupied Palestinian territories to the north and east, while it is bordered by Egypt to the southwest.
The geographic location of the city of Gaza holds particular significance, as it is situated on one of the main trade routes of the ancient world, which began in Hadramaut and Yemen and ended in India. Gaza also has substantial military importance, as it serves as a link between Egypt and the Levant. Taking control of Gaza meant the beginning of domination over the war and trade routes between Asia and Africa. Furthermore, Gaza's distinguished location on the edge of fertile, fresh-water lands that immediately follow the Sinai desert had an impact on its existence, survival, and significance. It serves as the natural stopover for those coming from Egypt on their way to the Levant, as well as the last stop for those arriving from the Levant heading to Egypt. It is a meeting point for caravans before entering the wilderness, where they complete their supplies before crossing the desert on their way to Egypt.
Topography of Gaza
The Gaza Strip represents the southern parts of the coastal plain, and there are no particularly distinct topographical features of the strip. However, its southern, northern, eastern, and western sections can be differentiated. Its surface is generally flat, with a series of hills extending in the eastern part that rise above the general level of the surface. The Gaza Strip is cut by three valleys: the Gaza Valley, the Salqa Valley, and the Beit Hanoun Valley.
Gaza Under Ottoman Rule
After the defeat of the Mamluks by the Ottomans at the Battle of Marj Dabiq north of Aleppo in 922 AH / 1516 AD, the Levantine cities fell one after another without significant resistance from the Mamluk garrisons. The Ottomans then entered Palestine and crushed the remnants of the Mamluk forces at the Battle of "Jaljulia" near Ramla, leading to the complete control of Palestinian cities by the Ottomans. The Ottoman Sultan "Selim I" entered Jerusalem on Tuesday, 6 Dhu al-Hijjah 922 AH / December 30, 1516 AD.
During the Ottoman rule, Palestine experienced prosperity, witnessing significant development in all aspects of life. The Ottoman sultans were keen on reviving the Palestinian cities, especially Jerusalem. They constructed wide roads and worked on connecting Palestinian cities through the establishment of railway lines. The first railway line connecting the cities of Jerusalem and Jaffa was established in 1892.
Moreover, the Ottomans were diligent in laying telegraph lines with neighboring Arab countries and European cities, and they provided Palestinian cities with electricity. During the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520 – 1566 AD), the Ottoman Tekiyeh (Tekiyeh al-Khaskiya Sultan) was established to house students of knowledge and to provide meals for the poor of Jerusalem, continuing its services even to this day.
The Ottoman Empire recognized early on the seriousness of the situations and conspiracies threatening Palestine, which became evident after the First Zionist Congress was held in the Swiss city of Basel in 1897. Therefore, the Ottomans stood as a barrier against Jewish immigration to Jerusalem, and Sultan Abdulhamid II, the last of the Ottoman sultans (1876 – 1909 AD), refused large financial incentives from the leader of the Zionist movement, Theodor Herzl, to sell Palestine while keeping it under Ottoman sovereignty, at a time when the state was in dire need of funds to settle debts and overcome economic difficulties amid enemy conspiracies.
