A Palestinian territory located on the Mediterranean Coast and bordering the northern Egyptian Sinai Peninsula to the south and southern Israel to the north and east. Est. population in 2007 according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics: 1,415,543. The territory was under Egyptian military rule from 1948-1967, followed by Israeli administrative and military occupation from 1967-1994, after which the newly formed Palestinian Authority (PA) was granted limited self-government for an interim five-year period. Israel retained responsibility for external and internal security as well as for administration of Jewish Israeli settlements; these settlements were evacuated by the Israeli government in 2005 (see Gaza Disengagement). Israel still maintains control over Gaza’s air space, and land and sea borders, and continues to launch military operations within Gaza (see Gaza Blockade and Gaza War/Operation Cast Lead). In 2007, Hamas seized control of Gaza and currently governs the territory apart from the PA. See “Gaza Strip.” Central Intelligence Agency. 14 June 2011. The World Factbook. 15 July 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gz.html.  http://www.justvision.org/glossary/gaza-strip