Trace Gaza’s history—from shifting borders and leadership struggles to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict—and explore how historical events, politics, and competing narratives shape its present and future.
Essential Questions
- How does history inform our understanding of current events?
- What historical and current factors have shaped daily life and challenges for people living in Gaza and Israel today?
- How can understanding the past help in building a more peaceful future for the region?
Big Ideas
- History Shapes the Present: Current events do not exist in a vacuum; they are influenced by decades of conflict, shifting borders, and political decisions.
- Conflict Is Multi-Dimensional: Economic hardship, security concerns, political power struggles, and religious beliefs all contribute to the ongoing tensions between Hamas and Israel.
- Leaders Define the Future: Choices made by Israeli, Palestinian, and regional leaders — whether through war, peace negotiations, or governance — continue to shape daily life in Gaza and beyond.
- Narratives Influence Perspectives: The way history is told and remembered affects how different groups understand the conflict and envision the future.
Grade Level: 6-12
Subject(s)
- World History
- Social Studies
- Current Events
- Middle East Studies
- Global Politics
Rationale/Teacher Notes
This resource provides a comprehensive overview of Gaza’s history from 1967 to the present, examining how the region has changed hands multiple times and exploring the complex factors that have shaped life for both Israelis and Palestinians. This resource is designed to serve as essential context before:
- Teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its historical roots
- Discussing the 1967 Six-Day War and its lasting territorial and political consequences
- Exploring the concept of disputed territories and how wars impact borders and civilian populations
- Understanding the rise of Hamas and the dynamics of Palestinian governance
- Teaching about empathy, multiple perspectives, and the complexity of conflict
- What is Hamas? Understanding Gaza’s Leadership: Hamas plays a central role in Gaza’s history from 1987 onwards and has controlled Gaza since 2007. Understanding the origins, ideology, governance, and actions of Hamas is essential for making sense of the video. As a class or in small groups, read the Council on Foreign Relations article, “What is Hamas?”. Debrief the article as a class by discussing the following:
- Hamas won Palestinian elections in 2006, surprising the international community, and then took full control of Gaza in 2007. What factors led to Hamas’s electoral success? Why were Palestinians tired of the Palestinian Authority’s leadership?
- After Hamas took power, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade restricting movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza. What was the reasoning behind the blockade? Who has been most affected—Hamas leadership or ordinary Gazans?
- Hamas both governs Gaza (providing schools, hospitals, and social services) AND is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU, and Israel for attacks on Israeli civilians. How can an organization play both roles simultaneously? Why might ordinary Gazans support Hamas despite its use of violence?
- As you watch the video, consider: How has Hamas’s governance shaped life in Gaza since 2007? How have Hamas’s actions and Israel’s responses created the current situation?
- Letters Across Borders: Students will write a fictional letter exchange between two individuals — one Israeli and one Palestinian — affected by the conflict.
- Choose Perspectives – Students select or are assigned two characters (e.g., a Gazan civilian, an Israeli near the border, a humanitarian aid worker, a Palestinian journalist, an Israeli paramedic).
- Write Two Letters – The first letter introduces the writer’s experiences, struggles, and hopes. The second letter is a response, offering a different perspective while acknowledging the first.
- Debrief Discussion – Students reflect on how writing from both sides challenged their assumptions and deepened their understanding of the conflict.
- Social Media Campaign – Reframing the Narrative: Students design a social media campaign that promotes understanding, historical accuracy, or media literacy regarding Gaza.
- Choose a Theme – Options include “Understanding Gaza’s History,” “Spotting Misinformation,” or “Perspectives from the Region.”
- Create Digital Content – Students design an Instagram post, infographic, or short video using Canva, TikTok, or another tool.
- Present & Discuss – How does their content challenge misinformation or promote balanced discussion?
- Wars Shape Borders and Identities – The 1967 War: Over the past century, Gaza has changed hands multiple times, most significantly after the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel took control from Egypt. While some Israelis saw the victory as an opportunity to liberate and resettle in ancient Jewish land, others advocated for returning the territories.
- How do wars impact borders and affect the people who live there?
- What lasting impact do these changes have on communities in disputed areas?
- Israel offered citizenship to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and native Gazans, but most refused. What does this tell us about identity, belonging, and resistance to occupation?
- The Underdog: Competing Perspectives: The events of October 7th and the war in Gaza are the latest chapter in the long and complex relationship between Israelis and Palestinians. Historically, Israelis have often perceived themselves as an underdog, isolated and encircled by powerful Arab nations, while Palestinians, facing oppression and marginalization, have similarly regarded themselves as the underdog.
- Are there advantages to being the underdog? What are the disadvantages of being the overdog?
- Should the underdog always be supported? Why or why not?
- How can both sides in a conflict see themselves as the underdog simultaneously?
- The Oslo Accords: Hope and Obstacles (1993-2000): In 1993, the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist, leading to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. For the first time, sworn enemies sat together to negotiate. But the video mentions “three flies in the ointment”: Israeli opposition, PA corruption, and Hamas.
- Why did some Israelis and some Palestinians oppose the peace process, even resorting to violence?
- Hamas and some Israeli extremists both believed their side’s land was sacred and couldn’t be given away. How are these positions similar? Why do religious or ideological claims make compromise particularly difficult?
- The video mentions the PA’s “near-legendary incompetence and corruption.” How does poor governance affect peace negotiations and ordinary people’s lives?
- The Egyptian president, Anwar Sadat, made peace with Israel in 1979 in exchange for:
- The West Bank
- Gaza
- Sinai
- East Jerusalem
- Which group or groups of people were offered citizenship in Israel after 1967, but largely declined?
- Residents of East Jerusalem
- Gazans who had been living there prior to 1948
- Jordanians who had family in the West Bank
- Both A and B
- Immediately before the 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza, approximately _____________ Jews lived in the Gaza strip.
- 80
- 800
- 8,000
- 80,000
- The Gaza Strip was gained by Israel during which war?
- 1948 War
- Six-Day War (1967)
- Yom Kippur War (1973)
- Lebanon War (1982)
- True or false: Before 1967, Gaza was technically part of Egypt
- True
- False
- Understanding the Gaza Disengagement
- CIE, Hamas Charter
- Jewish Virtual Library, “Background & Overview of Hamas”
- Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (Youtube), “Israel Killed My Family But I Want Peace”
- The Center for Peace Communications (Animated Testimonies), “Whispered in Gaza”
- Unpacking Israeli History Podcast (2020) “Gaza Strip and Gush Katif: When Jews Expelled Jews”