# Canonical recap data for Israel Withdraws from Gaza Strip (2005)
# Source: https://recap.at/2005/gaza-disengagement
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: gaza-disengagement
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2005/gaza-disengagement"
title: Israel Withdraws from Gaza Strip
aliases:
- Disengagement
- Gaza Disengagement
- Hitnatkut
- Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
subtitle: "Sharon's gamble: occupation ends, but the conflict doesn't."
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2005-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2005
decade: 2000
country:
name: Israel
slug: israel
summaryShort: Israel dismantled all 21 settlements in Gaza and withdrew its military from the strip in 2005, ending 38 years of occupation - a unilateral move that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon framed as strategic but that Palestinians viewed as incomplete.
summaryLong: Israel had controlled Gaza since 1967 following the Six-Day War (which ended in June 1967).
lede: "In summer 2005, Israel pulled its military out of Gaza and dismantled 21 settlements, removing roughly 8,600 Israeli settlers from the territory after 38 years of occupation. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon framed it as a strategic necessity to reduce Israeli casualties. Palestinians and much of the world saw it differently: Israel had withdrawn its troops but maintained iron-fisted control over the territory's borders, airspace, and economy, making it a withdrawal in name only."
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/The_Right_to_Resist_in_Gaza_or_London_%2853297196630%29.jpg/1280px-The_Right_to_Resist_in_Gaza_or_London_%2853297196630%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: "\"The Right to Resist in Gaza or London (53297196630)\" by Alisdare Hickson from Woolwich, United Kingdom is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/."
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Number of settlements dismantled
  value: "21"
- label: Israeli settlers evacuated
  value: Approximately 8,600
- label: Years of occupation ended
  value: 38 (since 1967)
- label: Cost to Israeli government
  value: Approximately 1.6 billion shekels
- label: Duration of evacuation operation
  value: 3 weeks (mid-August to late August 2005)
- label: Prime Minister
  value: Ariel Sharon
- label: Month completed
  value: August 2005
timeline:
- date: 1967-06-05
  title: Six-Day War begins
  description: Israel captures Gaza Strip and West Bank, beginning 38-year occupation of Gaza.
- date: 2003-12-18
  title: Sharon announces Disengagement plan
  description: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon publicly outlines plan to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza and dismantle Israeli settlements.
- date: 2004-10-26
  title: Israeli cabinet approves withdrawal
  description: Government formally approves the Gaza Disengagement plan after months of political debate.
- date: 2005-08-15
  title: Evacuation of settlements begins
  description: Israeli military and police begin forcibly removing settlers from Gaza's 21 settlements; operation conducted over three weeks.
- date: 2005-08-23
  title: Netzarim settlement evacuated
  description: One of Gaza's largest settlements, Netzarim, is evacuated after intense resistance from settlers.
- date: 2005-09-12
  title: Withdrawal complete
  description: Israel announces completion of military withdrawal from Gaza Strip; last soldiers depart.
- date: 2006-01-09
  title: Sharon suffers stroke
  description: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffers massive stroke, effectively ending his political career weeks after disengagement completion.
- date: 2006-01-25
  title: Hamas wins Gaza elections
  description: Palestinian legislative elections held in Gaza result in Hamas victory, dramatically shifting political landscape post-withdrawal.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: camp-david-accords-1978
  type: evolved_from
  confidence: 72
  evidence: Gaza withdrawal built on Camp David framework of Israeli-Egyptian coordination. The 1978 accords established the bilateral security architecture that enabled Egypt's blockade partnership post-2005 and Sharon's strategic calculation that Gaza could be de-escalated via perimeter control rather than occupation.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: israeli-independence
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 65
  evidence: The 2005 withdrawal occurred within Israel's 57-year history of contested occupation and settlement. It represented the first major territorial concession since 1948 independence, reshaping the nation's relationship to its borders and settler ideology.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Israel Withdraws from Gaza Strip" references "American Civil War" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: ve-day-germany-surrender
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Israel Withdraws from Gaza Strip" references "V-E Day (German surrender)" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: gulf-war
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Israel Withdraws from Gaza Strip" references "Gulf War" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Gaza_strip_may_2005.jpg/1280px-Gaza_strip_may_2005.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Gaza_strip_may_2005.jpg/800px-Gaza_strip_may_2005.jpg"
  caption: Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip
  credit: Wikipedia · "Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip"
  width: 330
  height: 353
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/The_Right_to_Resist_in_Gaza_or_London_%2853297196630%29.jpg/1280px-The_Right_to_Resist_in_Gaza_or_London_%2853297196630%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/The_Right_to_Resist_in_Gaza_or_London_%2853297196630%29.jpg/800px-The_Right_to_Resist_in_Gaza_or_London_%2853297196630%29.jpg"
  caption: The Right to Resist in Gaza or London (53297196630)
  credit: Alisdare Hickson from Woolwich, United Kingdom
  width: 5118
  height: 3412
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Building_air_bases_in_the_Negev-_The_U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers_in_Israel%2C_1979-1982_-_USACE-p16021coll4-353.pdf/page1-500px-Building_air_bases_in_the_Negev-_The_U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers_in_Israel%2C_1979-1982_-_USACE-p16021coll4-353.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Building_air_bases_in_the_Negev-_The_U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers_in_Israel%2C_1979-1982_-_USACE-p16021coll4-353.pdf/page1-500px-Building_air_bases_in_the_Negev-_The_U.S._Army_Corps_of_Engineers_in_Israel%2C_1979-1982_-_USACE-p16021coll4-353.pdf.jpg"
  caption: Building air bases in the Negev- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Israel, 1979-1982 - USACE-p16021coll4-353
  credit: United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Office of History; Center of Military History
  width: 877
  height: 1356
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Ford%2C_Kissinger%2C_Israeli_Prime_Minister_Yitzhak_Rabin%2C_Ambassador_Simcha_Dinitz_-_June_11%2C_1975%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29%281553116%29.pdf/page1-960px-Ford%2C_Kissinger%2C_Israeli_Prime_Minister_Yitzhak_Rabin%2C_Ambassador_Simcha_Dinitz_-_June_11%2C_1975%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29%281553116%29.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Ford%2C_Kissinger%2C_Israeli_Prime_Minister_Yitzhak_Rabin%2C_Ambassador_Simcha_Dinitz_-_June_11%2C_1975%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29%281553116%29.pdf/page1-960px-Ford%2C_Kissinger%2C_Israeli_Prime_Minister_Yitzhak_Rabin%2C_Ambassador_Simcha_Dinitz_-_June_11%2C_1975%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29%281553116%29.pdf.jpg"
  caption: Ford, Kissinger, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Ambassador Simcha Dinitz - June 11, 1975(Gerald Ford Library)(1553116)
  credit: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided
  width: 1181
  height: 1560
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
  artist: Green Day
  year: 2005
  note: Released weeks before Gaza withdrawal; global angst-rock dominated summer charts.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T07:36:16.067Z"
- title: Since U Been Gone
  artist: Kelly Clarkson
  year: 2004
  note: Still topping charts in 2005; post-breakup pop ballads dominated radio.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T07:36:16.067Z"
topFilms:
- title: War of the Worlds
  year: 2005
  note: Spielberg's invasion narrative reflected post-9/11 anxieties about occupation and resistance.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T07:36:16.067Z"
- title: Crash
  year: 2004
  note: Won Best Picture at 2005 Oscars; explored urban friction and unspoken tensions.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T07:36:16.067Z"
- title: Paradise Now
  year: 2005
  note: Palestinian film about suicide bombers; premiered at Berlin Film Festival amid global debate over withdrawal.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T07:36:16.067Z"
topTVShows:
- title: "24"
  year: 2005
  note: Peak ratings for counterterrorism thriller; U.S. security anxieties dominated primetime.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T07:36:16.067Z"
- title: Lost
  year: 2005
  note: Cultural phenomenon exploring survival, authority, and moral ambiguity.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-27T07:36:16.067Z"
zeitgeistNote: "August 2005 marked a pivot in Western media: the Iraq War was deepening (2+ years in), Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans weeks later, and the idea that withdrawals could solve entrenched conflicts remained optimistic. Gaza's withdrawal was framed by some as a pragmatic escape; others saw it as abandonment that would create a power vacuum."
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Gaza Population
  thenValue: ~1.4 million
  thenYear: 2005
  nowValue: ~2.3 million
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Population nearly doubled despite blockade and periodic conflict.
- metric: Israeli Military Presence
  thenValue: Direct occupation with 8,500 settlers
  thenYear: 2005
  nowValue: No settlements; perimeter control via blockade
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Withdrawal eliminated visible Israeli civilian presence but expanded military coordination with Egypt.
- metric: Gaza Unemployment Rate
  thenValue: ~25–30%
  thenYear: 2005
  nowValue: ~45%+ (pre-2023 conflict)
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Economic deterioration accelerated under blockade and Hamas governance.
impactStatement: In August 2005, Israel withdrew its military forces and 8,500 settlers from Gaza after 38 years of occupation, marking the first time the country unilaterally ceded territory. The move, orchestrated by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, reshaped the region's power dynamics and left Gaza's governance in question-a vacuum that would define Middle Eastern politics for decades.
consequences:
- title: Hamas Electoral Victory
  year: 2006
  description: With Israeli forces gone, Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006, securing 74 of 132 parliamentary seats and positioning itself to govern Gaza.
- title: Gaza Blockade Begins
  year: 2006
  description: Following Hamas's victory and Palestinian rocket fire, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in September 2006, restricting goods and movement that would persist for years.
- title: 2008–2009 Gaza War
  year: 2008
  description: Escalating tensions erupted into a 22-day military campaign by Israel against Hamas in December 2008, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and further destabilizing the territory.
- title: Abbas–Hamas Split Deepens
  year: 2007
  description: Fatah and Hamas clashed violently in Gaza in June 2007, ending with Hamas taking full control and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction retreating to the West Bank.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
metaDescription: Israel evacuates all settlements and military forces from Gaza in 2005, ending 38 years of occupation. The unilateral disengagement removes 8,000 settlers and reshapes Middle East geopolitics.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:gaza-disengagement"
translations:
es:
lede: "En el verano de 2005, Israel sacó su ejército de Gaza y desmanteló 21 asentamientos, removiendo aproximadamente 8,600 colonos israelíes del territorio después de 38 años de ocupación. El primer ministro Ariel Sharon lo presentó como una necesidad estratégica para reducir las bajas israelíes. Los palestinos y gran parte del mundo lo vieron de manera diferente: Israel había retirado sus tropas pero mantuvo un control férreo sobre las fronteras, el espacio aéreo y la economía del territorio, convirtiéndolo en un retiro solo de nombre."
summaryShort: Israel desmanteló los 21 asentamientos en Gaza y retiró su ejército de la franja en 2005, terminando 38 años de ocupación, un movimiento unilateral que el primer ministro Ariel Sharon presentó como estratégico pero que los palestinos vieron como incompleto.
summaryLong: Israel había controlado Gaza desde 1967 tras la Guerra de los Seis Días (que terminó en junio de 1967).
generatedAt: "2026-06-05T05:06:02.545Z"
fr:
lede: "À l'été 2005, Israël a retiré son armée de Gaza et a démantelé 21 colonies, évacuant environ 8 600 colons israéliens du territoire après 38 ans d'occupation. Le Premier ministre Ariel Sharon l'a présenté comme une nécessité stratégique pour réduire les pertes israéliennes. Les Palestiniens et une grande partie du monde y ont vu autrement : Israël avait retiré ses troupes mais maintenait un contrôle autoritaire sur les frontières, l'espace aérien et l'économie du territoire, ce qui constituait un retrait que de nom."
summaryShort: Israël a démantelé les 21 colonies de Gaza et a retiré son armée de la bande en 2005, mettant fin à 38 ans d'occupation - une mesure unilatérale que le Premier ministre Ariel Sharon a présentée comme stratégique mais que les Palestiniens ont considérée comme incomplète.
summaryLong: Israël contrôlait Gaza depuis 1967 après la guerre des Six-Jours (qui s'est terminée en juin 1967).
generatedAt: "2026-06-05T05:06:04.752Z"
de:
lede: "Im Sommer 2005 zog Israel sein Militär aus Gaza ab und baute 21 Siedlungen ab, wodurch etwa 8.600 israelische Siedler aus dem Gebiet entfernt wurden, nach 38 Jahren Besatzung. Premierminister Ariel Sharon stellte dies als strategische Notwendigkeit dar, um israelische Opfer zu reduzieren. Palästinenser und große Teile der Welt sahen dies anders: Israel hatte seine Truppen abgezogen, behielt aber die eiserne Kontrolle über die Grenzen, den Luftraum und die Wirtschaft des Gebiets, was den Rückzug nur dem Namen nach darstellte."
summaryShort: Israel baute alle 21 Siedlungen in Gaza ab und zog sein Militär 2005 aus dem Streifen ab, was 38 Jahre Besatzung beendete – ein einseitiger Schritt, den Premierminister Ariel Sharon als strategisch darstellte, aber den Palästinenser als unvollständig betrachteten.
summaryLong: Israel kontrollierte Gaza seit 1967 nach dem Sechstagekrieg (der im Juni 1967 endete).
generatedAt: "2026-06-05T05:06:07.266Z"
geo:
lat: 30.8124247
lng: 34.8594762
place: Israel
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
