The Gaza Strip is a narrow piece of land along the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt. Just 40km long and 10km wide, it is home to 1.4 million Palestinians and 8,000 Israeli settlers. Most of the Palestinians are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled or were expelled from Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
The settlers moved to Gaza following Israel's occupation of the strip in 1967. Following the 1993 agreement between the Palestinians and Israel about two thirds of the Strip came under Palestinian control. The remaining third is under Israeli control.
www.guardian.co.uk/world/gaza