A Short History of the Gaza Strip

An excellent primer . . . essential reading GUARDIANThe worlds eyes are on the Gaza Strip. After more than a year of Israeli military bombardment, it is the scene of unimaginable destruction. It is also one of the most politically significant territories on the planet. Yet how many of us know anything of its history?In this vital book, Anne Irfan, a leading historian of Palestine-Israel, examines six key moments that bring us to the present day. She begins with Israels expulsion of the Palestinian people in , when Israel was established and the Gaza region was truncated to a tiny territory of just square miles. Going on to detail Israels occupations of Gaza, the Palestinian national struggle and formation of the PLO, the first intifada, the creation of the Palestinian Authorityand the rise of Hamas, Irfan argues that, collectively, these events help explain how we have arrived at the catastrophe of the s and the genocidal violence unleashed by Israel in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks of October .Written with remarkable clarity, A Short History of the Gaza Stripdraws on a decade of meticulous research, weaving in the voices and stories of Palestinians from farmers and teachers to poets and activists. It is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge of Palestine and the wider region. In Irfans words, History matters, especially in Palestine and never more so than today.Wonderfully informative, nuanced, humane BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE Book of the YearExplainswith wonderful lucidity the context for Gazas catastrophe NEW STATESMAN