Word: regions
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...region of Gaza, a 25-mile long, 7-mile wide finger of land along the Mediterranean at the border between Israel and Egypt, has been at the center of geopolitical tug-of-wars for its entire existence. Originally part of the Ancient Egyptian region of Canaan, Gaza was best known in ancient times for its strategic location as an important trading center for Asian, European and North African markets. The desirability of the territory resulted in frequent battles for its control. Gaza was conquered by the Philistines in the 13th century B.C., razed by the Hasmonean Kingdom and suffered incursions...
...Gaza's longest modern stretch of occupation came after the region fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1517, under whose sway it remained for four centuries, until the dissolution of the Empire following World War 1. After World War II, a massive influx of Jews to the British Mandate of Palestine and the partitioning of the territory into separate Jewish and Arab states led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The subsequent 1949 Armistice Agreement gave Jordan control over the West Bank region of Palestine while Egypt gained control of Gaza...
...extend the offer to Gazans; they remained under Egyptian military rule until Israel reoccupied the strip following the 6-day war against the Arab States in 1967. Gaza and the West Bank remained under Israeli occupation and military control for nearly 30 years, during which the Palestinians of the region struggled achieve independence while clashing with Jewish settlers encroaching into Palestinian territories...
...than three weeks, however, knows how utterly hollow this statement is in light of the months-long blockade of Gaza. Israeli blockades of fuel, electricity, and food supplies from Gaza, which have been in place for well over a year, have drastically affected homes, businesses and hospitals in a region where 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, the most devastating effects of which are seen in the chronic malnutrition of Gazan children. Before the attacks, 60 percent of Gazans received running water once every 5-7 days and less than 30 percent had a reliable source...
...Although Egypt, which brokered last June's cease-fire but remains hostile to Hamas, invited the radical Palestinian group to talks in Cairo on Monday, Hamas is looking elsewhere for mediation: to Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been touring the region, and plans to take Hamas' cease-fire demands to the U.N. Security Council this week. Ankara, via its relations with Syria, has better access to Hamas than Egypt does. Turkey also has historically close relations with Israel and is a key NATO member, although it has angered Israeli leaders by condemning Israel for maintaining the economic siege...