Why Has Egypt Restricted Gazans?
Historical Context
After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip, while Jordan annexed the West Bank.
Gaza remained under Egyptian military administration (not annexation) until Israel captured it during the 1967 Six-Day War.
⚙️ 1. Egypt Never Considered Gaza Part of Egypt
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Egypt did not annex Gaza or grant its residents Egyptian citizenship.
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Cairo viewed Gaza as temporarily occupied territory to be used as leverage in the Arab-Israeli conflict, not integrated into Egypt itself.
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Egypt wanted to avoid responsibility for Gaza’s economic and social welfare and did not want to absorb a large Palestinian population.
🚫 2. Political and Security Control
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The Egyptian government feared political instability and Palestinian nationalism that could spill over into Egypt.
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It imposed tight military rule and restricted movement in and out of Gaza.
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Political organizations, especially those calling for independent Palestinian action (like early Fatah groups), were monitored, suppressed, or banned.
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Egypt wanted to keep full control over armed groups to prevent attacks on Israel that could trigger Israeli retaliation against Egyptian forces.
💰 3. Economic Restrictions
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Gaza was economically isolated — Egypt restricted trade, travel, and employment opportunities.
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The strip was densely populated and poor, filled with refugees from the 1948 war, and dependent on UNRWA aid.
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Egypt provided little development or investment, keeping Gaza dependent on external assistance rather than integrating it into its own economy.
🧭 4. Political Motive — Leverage Against Israel
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Egypt used Gaza as a bargaining chip in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
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By keeping Gaza’s status unresolved, Egypt maintained political pressure on Israel and the West regarding the Palestinian refugee problem.
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This strategy also helped Egypt lead the Arab world’s anti-Israel stance without being drawn into granting full statehood or autonomy to Palestinians.
⚔️ 5. Egyptian Crackdowns on Palestinian Militants
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In the 1950s, Palestinian fedayeen (guerrilla fighters) launched attacks into Israel from Gaza.
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Israel retaliated harshly, leading Egypt to crack down on these groups to avoid escalation.
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Egyptian intelligence and military authorities restricted weapons, movement, and gatherings to maintain order and prevent Israeli reprisals.
📜 Summary
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| No Annexation | Egypt didn’t want Gaza as part of its territory. |
| Security | To prevent militant activity and Israeli retaliation. |
| Political Control | To suppress independent Palestinian nationalism. |
| Economic Isolation | To avoid integrating Gaza’s economy and population. |
| Strategic Leverage | To use Gaza as a pressure point in Arab-Israeli politics. |
In short, Egypt restricted Gaza to maintain control, avoid responsibility, and preserve Gaza’s unresolved status as a political weapon against Israel — while also protecting its own internal security and stability.
Would you like me to include what changed after 1967 when Israel took control, to show how policies shifted and why?
⚙️ Background: Growing Frustration in Gaza
From 1948 to 1967, Gaza was under strict Egyptian military rule.
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Residents were not granted Egyptian citizenship,
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Freedom of movement was limited, and
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Political activity was tightly controlled.
Many Palestinians felt betrayed by Egypt — they wanted to continue fighting Israel, but Egypt was trying to contain guerrilla activity to prevent Israeli retaliation.
This created resentment among militant groups and nationalist factions in Gaza.
💣 1950s: Palestinian Militants vs. Egyptian Authority
By the early 1950s:
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Fedayeen (Palestinian guerrillas) were operating in Gaza.
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Egypt sometimes used them to launch cross-border raids into Israel — but when Israel retaliated, Egypt cracked down on the same militants.
That double standard led to clashes between Gaza militants and Egyptian forces.
There were uprisings and assassination attempts against Egyptian officials who ruled Gaza.
⚔️ 1955: Anti-Egyptian Riots and Attacks
In 1955, a major anti-Egyptian riot broke out in Gaza City.
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Egyptian forces opened fire on demonstrators.
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The riots were driven by anger over Egypt’s repression and poverty in Gaza.
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Protesters shouted slogans against Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, blaming him for their suffering.
Egypt’s response was harsh — dozens were killed or arrested, and many activists were imprisoned or executed.
🎯 Attempted Attacks on Nasser
There’s no verified evidence that Gazans came close to assassinating President Nasser personally, but:
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His representatives and Egyptian officers in Gaza were targeted.
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Nasser himself was deeply unpopular among many in Gaza in the mid-1950s, especially after the suppression of protests and the heavy-handed military rule.
🕊️ Later Developments
Ironically, after Israel took control of Gaza in 1967, many Palestinians looked back at Nasser with nostalgia, because he had at least spoken about Arab unity and Palestinian liberation — even though his actual rule over Gaza was repressive.
📜 Summary
| Year | Event | Against Egypt |
|---|---|---|
| Early 1950s | Fedayeen conflicts | Gaza militants clashed with Egyptian troops |
| 1955 | Anti-Egypt riots in Gaza | Dozens killed; protests against Nasser |
| Mid-1950s | Assassination plots | Targeted Egyptian officers, not Nasser directly |
| Post-1967 | Retrospective shift | Nasser seen as an Arab hero despite earlier repression |
by: Teresa Morin
Truth News
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