Editing Gaza Strip (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Gaza Beach.jpg|thumb|Palestinians on the Gaza beach in 2006]]
[[File:Gaza sea port.jpg|thumb|Gaza City in 2018]]
The Gaza Strip is {{cvt|41|km|mi|sp=us}} long, from {{cvt|6|to|12|km|mi|sp=us}} wide, and has a total area of {{cvt|365|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}.<ref name="Arnon">{{cite journal |first=Arie |last=Arnon |url=http://www.econ.bgu.ac.il/facultym/arnona/Israeli_Policy_towards_the_Occupied_Palestinian_Territories_The_Economic_Dimension_1967-2007.pdf |title=Israeli Policy towards the Occupied Palestinian Territories: The Economic Dimension, 1967–2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630142150/http://www.econ.bgu.ac.il/facultym/arnona/Israeli_Policy_towards_the_Occupied_Palestinian_Territories_The_Economic_Dimension_1967-2007.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-30 |journal=Middle East Journal |volume=61 |number=4 |date=Autumn 2007 |page=575 |doi=10.3751/61.4.11}}</ref><ref name="CIA World Factbook" /> It has a {{cvt|51|km|mi|sp=us}} border with [[Israel]], and an {{cvt|11|km|0|sp=us}} border with [[Egypt]], near the city of [[Rafah]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 May 2021 |title=Israel-Palestinian conflict: Life in the Gaza Strip |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675 |url-status=live |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627053554/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675 |archive-date=27 June 2018}}</ref>

[[Khan Yunis]] is located {{cvt|7|km|mi|sp=us}} northeast of Rafah, and several towns around [[Deir el-Balah]] are located along the coast between it and [[Gaza City]]. [[Beit Lahia]] and [[Beit Hanoun]] are located to the north and northeast of Gaza City, respectively. The [[Gush Katif]] bloc of Israeli settlements used to exist on the [[dune|sand dune]]s adjacent to Rafah and Khan Yunis, along the southwestern edge of the {{cvt|40|km|mi|sp=us}} [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] coastline. Al Deira beach is a popular venue for surfers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Roug |first=Louise |date=23 August 2007 |title=In Gaza, surfers find peace and freedom riding the deep blue |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-29-fg-gazasurf29-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=25 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014022552/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/29/world/fg-gazasurf29 |archive-date=14 October 2012}}</ref>

The [[topography]] of the Gaza Strip is dominated by three [[ridge]]s parallel to the coastline, which consist of [[Pleistocene]]-[[Holocene]] aged [[calcareous]] [[Aeolian processes|aeolian]] (wind deposited) [[sandstone]]s, locally referred to as "[[kurkar]]", [[Interbedding|intercalated]] with red-coloured [[Grain size|fine grained]] [[paleosol]]s, referred to as "hamra". The three ridges are separated by [[wadi]]s, which are filled with [[Alluvium|alluvial deposits]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=UBEID |first=Khalid F. |date=2013 |title=The origin, nature and stratigraphy of Pleistocene-Holocene palaeosols in Wadi Es-Salqa (Gaza Strip, Palestine) |url=http://www.insugeo.org.ar/publicaciones/docs/scg-29-2-05.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Serie Correlación Geológica |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=63–78 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808201205/http://insugeo.org.ar/publicaciones/docs/scg-29-2-05.pdf |archive-date=2017-08-08}}</ref> The terrain is flat or rolling, with dunes near the coast. The highest point is Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda), at {{cvt|105|m|ft|sp=us}} above [[sea level]].

The major river in Gaza Strip is [[Wadi Gaza]], around which the [[Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve]] was established, to protect the only coastal wetland in the Strip.<ref name="meweco">[https://www.mahmiyat.ps/uploads/WadiGazaMP.pdf MANAGEMENT PLAN- WADI GAZA ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605084222/https://www.mahmiyat.ps/uploads/WadiGazaMP.pdf|date=5 June 2022}}, by the MedWetCoast project</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/04/16/now-we-can-breathe-a-little-how-gaza-is-bringing-its-wetlands-back-to-life |title='Now we can breathe a little': How Gaza is bringing its wetlands back to life |date=16 April 2023 |access-date=17 October 2023 |archive-date=1 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101001758/https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/04/16/now-we-can-breathe-a-little-how-gaza-is-bringing-its-wetlands-back-to-life |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Climate===
The Gaza Strip has a [[semi-arid climate#Hot semi-arid climates|hot semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BSh''), with warm winters during which practically all the annual rainfall occurs, and dry, hot summers. Despite the dryness, humidity is high throughout the year. Annual rainfall is higher than in any part of Egypt at between {{cvt|225|mm|in|0}} in the south and {{cvt|400|mm|in|0}} in the north, but almost all of this falls between November and February.

===Environment issues===
Environmental problems in Gaza include [[desertification]]; [[Biosalinity|salination]] of fresh water; [[sewage treatment]]; [[water-borne disease]]s; [[soil degradation]]; and depletion and contamination of underground [[water resources]]. A United Nations official said in 2024 that "it could take 14 years ... to clear [[Construction waste|debris]], including [[rubble]] from destroyed buildings" (of the Gaza war).<ref name="Reuters 2024 c119">{{cite web | title=UN official says it could take 14 years to clear debris in Gaza | website=Reuters | date=26 Apr 2024 | url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-official-says-it-could-take-14-years-clear-debris-gaza-2024-04-26/ | access-date=1 May 2024 | archive-date=26 April 2024 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20240426163228/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-official-says-it-could-take-14-years-clear-debris-gaza-2024-04-26/ | url-status=live }}</ref>