Gaza (lang-ar??? translarGhazza, IPA-ar??az?a; lang-he??? translhe"Azza", IPA-he??aza; also referred to as Gaza City) is a Palestinian (Palestinian people) city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 410,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian Territories.

Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC, Gaza has been dominated by several different people and empires throughout its history. The Philistines made it a part of their pentapolis after the Ancient Egyptians had ruled it for nearly 350 years. Under the Romans (Roman Empire) and later the Byzantines (Byzantine Empire), Gaza experienced relative peace and its port flourished. In 635 AD, it became the first city in Palestine to be conquered by the Rashidun army and quickly developed into a center of Islamic law (Fiqh). However, by the time the Crusader (Crusades)s invaded the city, it was in ruins. In later centuries, Gaza experienced several hardships - from Mongol (Mongol Empire) raids to floods and locusts, reducing it to a village by the 16th century when it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. During the first half of Ottoman rule, the Ridwan dynasty controlled Gaza and under them the city went through an age of great commerce and peace.

Gaza fell to British forces (British Army) during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. As a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly-formed Gaza Strip territory and several improvements were undertaken in the city. Gaza was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967, but in 1993, the city was transferred to the Palestinian National Authority. Hamas took over the city in 2007 after months of clashes with its rival Fatah, and since then Gaza has been under a blockade by Israel (Blockade of the Gaza Strip).

The primary economic activities of Gaza are small-scale industries, agriculture and labor. However, the economy has been devastated by the blockade and recurring conflicts. Most of Gazas inhabitants adhere to Islam, although there exists a Christian minority. Gaza has a very young population with roughly 75% being under the age of 25, and today the city has one of the highest population densities in the world?refugees (Palestinian refugee) make up over half of the residents.