- I can do no better than this back-cover summary in capturing the essence of this magnificent, detailed, and lucidly written book. It was completed in March 2025, so it is fully up to date.
- Anne Irfan is a multiple award-winning historian and lecturer in Interdisciplinary Race, Gender and Postcolonial Studies at University College London.
'The world‘s eyes are on the Gaza Strip. After more than a year of Israeli military bombardment, it is the scene of unimaginable destruction. It is also one of the most politically significant territories on the planet. Yet how many of us know anything of its history?
In this vital book, Anne Irfan, a leading historian of Palestine-Israel, examines six key moments that bring us to the present day. She begins with Israel’s expulsion of the Palestinian people in 1948, when Israel was established and the Gaza region was truncated to a tiny territory of just 141 square miles. Going on to detail Israel’s occupation of Gaza, the Palestinian national struggle and formation of the PLO, the first intifada, the creation of the Palestinian Authority and the rise of Hamas, Irfan argues that, collectively, these events help explain how we have arrived at the catastrophe of the 2020s and the genocidal violence unleashed by Israel in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7.
Written with remarkable clarity, A Short History of the Gaza Strip draws on a decade of meticulous research, weaving in the voices and stories of Palestinians from farmers and teachers to poets and activists. It is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge of Palestine and the wider region. In Irfan‘s words, 'History matters, especially in Palestine' - and never more so than today.
'A timely, short, highly informative history that is sure to dispel many of the misconceptions currently widespread about Gaza. It will remind readers of what was lost in the course of Israel’s aggression, as well as recognising Gaza's resilience'.
(Raja Shehada, author of 'What Does Israel Fear from Palestine?')
