The Gaza conflict has evolved over decades through wars, political shifts, peace efforts, and humanitarian crises. This timeline provides an overview of the major historical events that have shaped Gaza from 1948 to the present day, offering essential context to understand current developments.
- 1948–1966: Origins & Early Displacement
- 1967–1986: Occupation & Regional Wars
- 1987–2004: First & Second Intifada
- 2005–2006: Israeli Withdrawal & Political Shift
- 2007–2013: Blockade & Escalations
- 2014: Gaza War
- 2018–2019: Border Protests
- 2021: May Escalation
- 2023-2025: Conflict escalation
- 2026–Present: Gaza Peace Board
1948–1966: Origins & Early Displacement
The period from 1948 to 1966 forms a foundational phase in any Gaza Conflict Timeline, marking large-scale displacement and political reconfiguration that shaped Gaza’s modern history. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the declaration of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948, hostilities led to the flight and expulsion of many Palestinian Arabs.
By the 1949 armistice agreements, the Gaza Strip came under Egyptian administration, and its population was rapidly transformed as refugees from areas that became part of Israel moved into this small coastal enclave. This early phase established Gaza as a dense refugee area and a central arena in the evolving Arab–Israeli conflict.
From 1949 to 1966, Gaza remained under Egyptian military rule without formal annexation, with residents experiencing limited political autonomy and restricted movement. Key developments in this stage of the Gaza Conflict Timeline include the creation of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) operations in 1949–1950, the establishment of refugee camps, and recurring cross-border incidents involving fedayeen raids from Gaza into Israel and Israeli retaliatory operations.
The 1956 Suez Crisis, during which Israel briefly occupied the Gaza Strip before withdrawing in early 1957 under international pressure, highlighted Gaza’s strategic significance and exposure to regional power struggles. By 1966, entrenched refugee status, high population density, and constrained governance had become defining structural features of Gaza, shaping the conditions for subsequent phases of the conflict.
1967–1986: Occupation & Regional Wars
From 1967 to 1986, the Gaza Conflict Timeline is marked by the transition from Egyptian administration to Israeli military occupation and by Gaza’s integration into wider Arab–Israeli and regional dynamics. In June 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt along with the Sinai Peninsula, placing Gaza under an Israeli military government that managed civil affairs and security.
Over the following years, Israel established settlements in and around Gaza while maintaining control over borders, airspace, and major resources, a situation many international bodies classified as a form of occupation. This phase consolidated Gaza’s role as a densely populated, strategically sensitive territory at the center of the broader Question of Palestine.
Between 1967 and 1986, the Gaza Conflict Timeline also intersected with regional wars and shifting political currents, which affected both governance and daily life in the Strip. Israeli security measures, including arrests, house demolitions, and restrictions on movement, were justified by Israeli authorities as responses to armed resistance and unrest, while Palestinian and international human rights organizations described them as part of a broader pattern of occupation-related control.
During this period, regional developments such as the 1973 Arab–Israeli War and evolving PLO activity influenced Gaza indirectly, shaping local perceptions of resistance, diplomacy, and regional alliances. By the mid-1980s, entrenched military administration, settlement expansion, demographic pressure, and recurring tensions had created conditions that many analysts see as precursors to the mass uprisings that would emerge in the late 1980s, marking a new stage in the Gaza Conflict Timeline.
1987–2004: First & Second Intifada
From 1987 to 2004, the Gaza Conflict Timeline is closely linked to the First and Second Intifadas, during which Gaza became a central arena of Palestinian uprising and Israeli–Palestinian confrontation. The First Intifada began in December 1987, with widespread protests, strikes, and clashes across the occupied territories, including major refugee camps and urban centers in Gaza.
During this period, new local leadership networks and movements, including Hamas (founded in 1987), emerged alongside existing Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) structures, reshaping Gaza’s political landscape. The Oslo Accords of the early 1990s introduced limited self-governance under the Palestinian Authority in parts of Gaza while Israel retained control over borders, settlements, and security, creating a layered system of authority and administration.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Gaza Conflict Timeline entered a new phase with the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000, following the collapse of final-status negotiations and rising tensions. This period saw intensified violence, including Israeli military incursions, targeted killings, and Palestinian attacks, as well as the further militarization of some factions within Gaza.
Infrastructure, economic activity, and daily movement were increasingly affected by closures, security measures, and restrictions, reinforcing Gaza’s isolation and economic dependency. By 2004, debates over future policy, including Israel’s planned unilateral disengagement from Gaza, reflected how nearly two decades of popular uprisings, negotiations, and recurring conflict had redefined the Strip’s role and conditions within the broader Gaza Conflict Timeline.
2005–2006: Israeli Withdrawal & Political Shift
From 2005 to 2006, the Gaza Conflict Timeline entered a new phase marked by Israel’s unilateral disengagement and a major internal Palestinian political shift. In 2005, Israel removed its settlements and permanent military presence from inside the Gaza Strip, while retaining control over its airspace, maritime access, and most border crossings.
This move was described by Israeli leaders as a security and demographic measure, while many Palestinian and international commentators viewed it as a redeployment of occupation rather than a full end to control. The change reconfigured governance and security arrangements on the ground, positioning Gaza at the center of debates over sovereignty, borders, and responsibility.
In 2006, the Gaza Conflict Timeline was further reshaped by Palestinian Legislative Council elections in which Hamas won a parliamentary majority, challenging the long-dominant Fatah movement and altering the internal political balance among Palestinians. The result led to strained relations with Israel, the United States, and the European Union, which conditioned engagement and aid on changes to Hamas’s positions.
In response, Gaza faced tightened restrictions, intermittent closures, and growing economic pressure, while competing Palestinian factions sought to assert authority in the Strip. These developments created a new political and institutional context for Gaza, setting the stage for later internal division and changes in governance that would define subsequent stages of the conflict.
2007–2013: Blockade & Escalations
From 2007 to 2013, the Gaza Conflict Timeline is defined by the consolidation of Hamas’s control in Gaza, the imposition of a comprehensive blockade, and recurrent rounds of armed escalation. After violent clashes between Fatah and Hamas in June 2007, Hamas took control of Gaza’s internal governance, while the Palestinian Authority retained authority primarily in the West Bank.
Israel, with varying cooperation from Egypt, imposed tight restrictions on movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza, citing security concerns related to rocket fire and weapons smuggling. Many international organizations and states described these measures as a blockade and raised concerns about their humanitarian and socio-economic impact on Gaza’s population.
This period also saw several major military escalations that became key markers in the Gaza Conflict Timeline, including the 2008–2009 Gaza war (often referred to as Operation Cast Lead), the 2012 escalation (Operation Pillar of Defense), and repeated shorter flare-ups. These confrontations typically involved rocket and mortar fire from Gaza toward Israeli territory and airstrikes and other military operations by Israel inside Gaza, resulting in significant casualties and infrastructure damage.
Ceasefires, usually brokered by regional and international actors, intermittently reduced hostilities but did not resolve underlying issues related to security, political recognition, borders, or the blockade. By 2013, Gaza’s governance by Hamas, continued restrictions on access and movement, and cyclical escalations had become entrenched features, shaping the Strip’s political, economic, and humanitarian conditions within the broader Gaza Conflict Timeline.
2014: Gaza War
In the Gaza Conflict Timeline, the 2014 Gaza War generally refers to a major round of hostilities between Israel and armed groups in the Gaza Strip, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, between early July and late August 2014. O
ften called “Operation Protective Edge” in Israeli accounts, the confrontation began after a period of rising tension, rocket fire from Gaza, and Israeli airstrikes, and evolved into a large-scale military operation combining extensive air attacks with a ground incursion into parts of Gaza. The stated objective of Israeli authorities was to stop rocket fire and degrade militant capabilities, including the destruction of cross‑border tunnels, while Palestinian factions framed their actions as resistance to blockade and occupation.
The fighting involved thousands of rockets and mortars launched toward Israel and a high number of Israeli air and artillery strikes on targets across the Gaza Strip, resulting in significant loss of life, large-scale damage to homes and infrastructure, and displacement of many residents. Multiple temporary ceasefires were brokered and collapsed before an open‑ended truce was reached in late August 2014, with both sides claiming that they had achieved key aims.
International bodies, human rights organizations, and official inquiries later examined alleged violations of international humanitarian law by all parties, reflecting differing legal and political interpretations of the conduct of hostilities. Within the broader Gaza Conflict Timeline, the 2014 war is widely viewed as a defining escalation that reinforced existing patterns of blockade, militarization, and recurring large‑scale confrontations between Israel and Gaza‑based armed groups.
2018–2019: Border Protests
In the Gaza Conflict Timeline, the 2018–2019 period is closely associated with the Gaza border protests, widely known as the Great March of Return, which began on 30 March 2018 and continued into late 2019. Demonstrations were held mainly on Fridays near the fence separating Gaza from Israel, with organizers and many participants framing the protests as a campaign to highlight Palestinian refugees’ claimed right of return and to call for an end to the land, air, and sea restrictions imposed on the Strip.
Israeli authorities viewed the events as a security threat linked to Hamas and other factions, citing the use of incendiary kites, attempts to breach the fence, and attacks against soldiers as evidence that the protests were not purely civilian gatherings. This divergence in characterization—between largely peaceful popular protest and militarized border confrontations—became a central feature of international reporting and debate about this phase of the Gaza Conflict Timeline.
The impact on Gaza during 2018–2019 included significant casualties and long-term medical and socio-economic consequences, which international and medical organizations described as a humanitarian concern. UN and human rights reports recorded high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured, including children, health workers, and journalists, primarily by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces, while Israel emphasized its rules of engagement as a response to perceived threats near the barrier.
The protests also underscored continuing restrictions on movement, employment, and infrastructure in Gaza, reinforcing its portrayal as a blockaded and densely populated territory with limited access to external markets and services. Within the broader Gaza Conflict Timeline, the 2018–2019 border protests are thus seen as a defining moment in which mass mobilization, border security practices, and international scrutiny intersected, without resolving underlying disputes over borders, blockade, or the status of refugees.
2021: May Escalation
In the Gaza Conflict Timeline, the May 2021 escalation refers to an 11‑day round of intense hostilities between Israel and armed groups in Gaza, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It followed a period of rising tensions in Jerusalem, including disputes over Sheikh Jarrah evictions and clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which both sides and many analysts identify as immediate triggers.
After rockets were launched from Gaza toward Israeli cities, Israel responded with large-scale airstrikes on targets in the Strip, including sites it described as military infrastructure embedded in civilian areas. Armed groups in Gaza framed their rocket fire as a response to events in Jerusalem and broader policies toward Palestinians, emphasizing continuity with earlier phases of the Gaza Conflict Timeline.
During the May 2021 escalation, thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza while Israeli air operations caused extensive damage to buildings, roads, and basic services in the enclave. Civilian casualties, displacement, and disruption to electricity, health care, and other essential systems drew significant international attention and diplomatic engagement.
A number of regional and international actors helped broker an eventual ceasefire that ended the immediate fighting without a formal political agreement or change in the underlying status of Gaza. In the context of the broader Gaza Conflict Timeline, the May 2021 events are often described as reinforcing existing patterns of periodic large-scale confrontations, continued blockade and restrictions around Gaza, and unresolved disputes over security, territory, and governance.
2023-2025: Conflict escalation
From 2023 to 2025, the Gaza Conflict Timeline is dominated by the large‑scale war that began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas‑led forces launched a multi‑front attack into southern Israel, killing civilians and soldiers and taking hostages, followed by extensive Israeli airstrikes and a full ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel framed its campaign as an effort to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, while Hamas and allied groups presented their actions as resistance linked to the broader Palestinian issue.
The conflict expanded into prolonged urban fighting, including major operations in northern Gaza, Khan Yunis, and Rafah through 2024, with high levels of destruction, displacement, and casualties reported by international organizations. Regional and global actors advanced multiple ceasefire and hostage‑exchange proposals, producing temporary pauses but not an immediate comprehensive political settlement.
By 2024 and 2025, the Gaza Conflict Timeline reflects both continued military activity and evolving diplomatic and reconstruction initiatives. UN and development agencies assessed that the war had severely set back Gaza’s socio‑economic indicators, describing damage to housing, infrastructure, health, and education systems, and a large share of the population displaced or reliant on aid.
In 2025, major operations such as the Gaza City offensive and subsequent partial withdrawals were accompanied by UN Security Council resolutions and international proposals linking ceasefire arrangements to governance changes and long‑term reconstruction plans. Across this 2023–2025 phase, Gaza’s status as a densely populated, heavily damaged, and politically contested territory became even more pronounced, making it a central focus of regional diplomacy, international humanitarian response, and analyses of the Gaza Conflict Timeline.
2026–Present: Gaza Peace Board
From 2026 onward, the Gaza Conflict Timeline includes the creation of a Gaza-focused “Board of Peace” as part of a broader international initiative led by U.S. President Donald Trump to manage post‑war governance and reconstruction in the territory. The Board of Peace, formally established in January 2026 and endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution, is structured as a multi‑level body chaired by Trump and composed mainly of invited heads of state and senior officials.
Within this framework, a Gaza Executive Board has been designated to oversee a Palestinian technocratic committee, sometimes referred to as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, tasked with day‑to‑day administration and coordination of reconstruction. The arrangement is linked to a phased Gaza peace plan that includes provisions for demilitarization measures, an International Stabilization Force, and large‑scale investment pledges, positioning the Board as a central actor in the post‑conflict phase of the Gaza Conflict Timeline.
Reactions to the Gaza Peace Board have been mixed, and its long‑term implications remain under active discussion. Supporters, including several regional governments that have joined as founding members, present the Board as a mechanism to concentrate resources, accelerate reconstruction, and provide external guarantees for security and governance reforms in Gaza.
Critics and some Palestinian voices have expressed concern about limited direct Palestinian representation in the Board’s upper structures, the concentration of authority in an externally led body, and uncertainty over how the new arrangement fits with existing Palestinian institutions and international frameworks. As this 2026–present phase unfolds, the Gaza Peace Board is thus emerging as a key reference point in analyses of governance, sovereignty, and reconstruction in Gaza, with its effectiveness and legitimacy likely to be central themes in future assessments of the Gaza Conflict Timeline.
