Key Terms: Reconstructing the Gaza Strip

Before starting research on policy and solutions within the wide scope of reconstruction, it is important to be familiar with a few key terms. This list is not exhaustive, but it is a good place to start with your research for Topic A.

Balfour Declaration: In the wake of World War I, the British Empire took control over Palestine which was previously part of the Ottoman Empire. On November 2, 1917, the Balfour Declaration was a public pledge that the British Empire made to the Jewish people residing in Palestine, promising for the eventual establishment of a Jewish state. 

The British Mandate in 1922: The British Mandate was established by the League of Nations after World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The British were granted control to rule over the territory, and they held official accountability for and responsibility over the territory of Palestine. 

Partition Plan of 1947: Also known as United Nations Resolution 181, this resolution called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. Meanwhile, the city of Jerusalem would stand as a separate entity and international city. 

International City: An international city is an autonomous city that is not ruled or governed by any nation-state.

The Nakba: The Nakba was largely influenced by the Balfour Declaration, and it has led to one of the world’s largest humanitarian and refugee crises. Over 700,000 Palestinians were evicted from their homes, and today, there are more than 7,000,000 Palestinian refugees who descended from this mass exodus. 

The Six-Day War (1967): Commonly known as the June War, this war between Israel and various Arab states culminated in the Israeli acquisition of several notable territories, including:  the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Old City of Jerusalem. These territories remain vital discussion points in the Palestinian-Arab conflict to this day. 

Hamas: Also known as the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas is a military branch of the Muslim brotherhood that governs over 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Palestine Legislative Council Elections in 2006. 

Fatah: Fatah is one of the two dominant political parties in Palestine (the other being Hamas) and rules over the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) with a notable mandate to renounce violence. The PLO is an organization dedicated to uniting Arab to liberate Palestinian territories. To this end, Fatah nominally rules over the West Bank, though much remains occupied by Israel. 

Work Cited

"What Is Hamas?". Council On Foreign Relations, 2022, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas. Accessed 12 Feb 2022.

"Six-Day War | Definition, Causes, History, Summary, Outcomes, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/event/Six-Day-War. Accessed 12 Feb 2022.

Assets.Cambridge.Org, 2022, https://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/78005/excerpt/9780521878005_excerpt.pdf. Accessed 12 Feb 2022.

"United Nations Resolution 181 | Map & Summary". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Resolution-181. Accessed 12 Feb 2022.

"What Is The Nakba?". Vox, 2018, https://www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080030/israel-palestine-nakba. Accessed 12 Feb 2022.

Tahhan, Zena. "More Than A Century On: The Balfour Declaration Explained". Aljazeera.Com, 2017, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/11/2/more-than-a-century-on-the-balfour-declaration-explained. Accessed 12 Feb 2022.