Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

5 hours ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

7 hours ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

10 hours ago

Elon Musk Says Senate Bill Would Destroy Jobs and Harm US

10 hours ago

Israel Strikes Pound Gaza, Killing 60, Ahead of US Talks on Ceasefire

11 hours ago

Trump’s Administration Finds Harvard Violated Students’ Civil Rights, WSJ Reports

12 hours ago

How Did the Supreme Court Rule? Here’s a Look at the Big Cases

3 days ago
The Geography of Conflict: Understanding the Israeli Communities Along the Gaza Border
By admin
Published 2 years ago on
October 13, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The historical and ongoing tension between Israel and the Gaza Strip has been brought into sharp focus following recent attacks on Israeli communities located near the border. These communities, collectively known as the “Gaza Envelope,” have been the target of numerous assaults over the years, with the most recent being particularly devastating.

The term “Gaza Envelope” refers to over 50 communities situated close to the Gaza Strip, housing approximately 70,000 residents. These communities have been strategically placed by Israel to “envelop” Gaza, a concept that dates back to the country’s early years of statehood. The idea was to establish a physical presence along the border, thereby asserting Israel’s territorial claims.

A car carrying the son of Jerusalem Mayor Gershon Agron, blown up by an Egyptian mine near Nahal Oz in 1957. (Government Press Office, Israel)

The Gaza Strip itself is a product of human, not geological, factors. The term came into use in 1949, following the armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt. Neither country claimed the small piece of land where Israel’s Mediterranean border meets Sinai. Israel was hesitant to incorporate Gaza due to the large number of Palestinian refugees residing there. Egypt, while maintaining military control, also refrained from annexing the territory.

Six Day War. Toddlers with their nurses outside the entrance to underground shelter at kibbutz Nahal Oz. May 1967. (Government Press Office, Israel)

The border between Israel and the Gaza Strip was initially just a line on a map, with no physical barrier. This led to frequent infiltrations, primarily by refugees seeking to return to their homes within Israel. However, by the mid-1950s, Egypt began arming fedayeen for cross-border raids, escalating the conflict.

The Israeli communities along the border have borne the brunt of the hostilities over the years. Despite this, they have not always received consistent support or assistance from the state. Some argue that the secular, Labor movement-affiliated identities of most of these communities could partially explain the government’s lack of physical presence and verbal expressions of solidarity following recent attacks.

The ongoing tension and conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip, and the impact on the communities of the “Gaza Envelope,” underscore the complex and fraught nature of the Israel-Palestine issue.

Read more at Haaretz.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

DON'T MISS

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

DON'T MISS

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

DON'T MISS

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

DON'T MISS

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

DON'T MISS

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

DON'T MISS

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

DON'T MISS

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

DON'T MISS

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

935 People Killed in Israeli Strikes on Iran, Official Says

UP NEXT

US Revokes Visas for Bob Vylan After Music Duo’s Glastonbury Chants

UP NEXT

Israel Acknowledges Palestinian Civilians Harmed at Gaza Aid Sites, Says ‘Lessons Learned’

UP NEXT

Israel Faces Genocide Accusations Amid Gaza Food Aid Killings

UP NEXT

Iran-Linked Hackers May Target US Firms and Critical Infrastructure, US Government Warns

UP NEXT

Israel Strikes Pound Gaza, Killing 60, Ahead of US Talks on Ceasefire

UP NEXT

US to Restart Trade Negotiations With Canada Immediately, White House Says

UP NEXT

Trump to Sign Order Related to Syria Sanctions Easing, CBS News Reports

UP NEXT

Trump Says a Deal Related to Trade Was Signed With China on Wednesday

UP NEXT

State Department Approves $30 Million for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

4 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

4 hours ago

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

4 hours ago

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

4 hours ago

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

4 hours ago

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

5 hours ago

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

5 hours ago

DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme

5 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor

5 hours ago

Dyer’s Lobbying Works. Fresno Gets $100M for Downtown From State

5 hours ago

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

The Clovis Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating an at-risk missing adult last seen on Thursday. Pathmani Goonawarde...

2 hours ago

Clovis Police are searching for Pathmani Goonawardena, 82, who went missing nearly three weeks ago and was last seen driving a white Volvo near Copper and Auberry, possibly en route to Coarsegold. (CHP)
2 hours ago

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

fresno
3 hours ago

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

4 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

Bryan Koberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students, listens during a hearing to overturn his grand jury indictment in Moscow, Idaho, U.S., October 26, 2023. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

The Blanca Fire, burning 12 acres northwest of Lake Madera Country Estates in Madera County, remains active with 0% containment and no reported injuries or structural damage as the cause is under investigation as of Monday, June 30, 2025. (CalFire)
4 hours ago

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

Fresno County CHP arrested two on Interstate 5 after finding about one kilogram of suspected cocaine, a loaded ghost gun, and counterfeit money during a vehicle search on Sunday, June 29, 2025. (CHP)
4 hours ago

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

Gov. Newsom warns Californians to celebrate the Fourth of July safely, emphasizing zero tolerance for illegal fireworks which have surged to over 600,000 pounds seized this year. (Shutterstock)
4 hours ago

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend