Gaza, first occupied by Egypt, was captured during the 1969 Middle East War by Israel, which also captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In 2005, Israel withdrew its troops and approximately 7,000 settlers from the area. Currently, about 2.3 million people live in Gaza, which has one of the densest populations in the world.
Located on the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is surrounded by Israel, with the exception of its South side which lies next to Egypt.