In 2005, Israel withdrew its forces from the Gaza Strip and allowed the Palestinian authority to take control.
Despite the withdrawal, Israel still maintains direct external control over everyday life in Gaza, such as the territory's air and maritime space, most of its land crossings, electricity and water supply and other utilities.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Palestinians in Gaza still remain protected persons under the articles of the Geneva Conventions.

Following the Battle of Gaza in 2007, Hamas took full control over the strip and expelled its rival and current ruler of the West Bank, Fatah.
The takeover by Hamas led Israel and Egypt to impose a land, air and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The blockade has had disastrous effects on Gaza's population.

After the 2014 Gaza war, the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsened.
Hamas struggled to manage civil life in Gaza, and the new leadership under Yahya Sinwar hoped to get the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza's civil issues, through the 2017 Fatah–Hamas Agreement, but the agreement failed.
According to Israeli journalist Amos Harel, Hamas, which failed to lift the blockade for years, sought to use the demonstrations as a means to get out its strategical crisis, as it found armed conflict with Israel to be ineffective.

The principal demand of the protests was the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to present-day Israel.
A majority of Gaza's population consists of refugees from the 1948 Palestine War and their descendants.
Israel rejected any right of return, fearing that Jews would become a minority in Israel if too many Palestinians returned.
In 2005, Israel withdrew its forces from the Gaza Strip and allowed the Palestinian authority to take control. Despite the withdrawal, Israel still maintains direct external control over everyday life in Gaza, such as the territory's air and maritime space, most of its land crossings, electricity and water supply and other utilities. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Palestinians in Gaza still remain protected persons under the articles of the Geneva Conventions.
Following the Battle of Gaza in 2007, Hamas took full control over the strip and expelled its rival and current ruler of the West Bank, Fatah. The takeover by Hamas led Israel and Egypt to impose a land, air and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip. The blockade has had disastrous effects on Gaza's population.
After the 2014 Gaza war, the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsened. Hamas struggled to manage civil life in Gaza, and the new leadership under Yahya Sinwar hoped to get the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza's civil issues, through the 2017 Fatah–Hamas Agreement, but the agreement failed. According to Israeli journalist Amos Harel, Hamas, which failed to lift the blockade for years, sought to use the demonstrations as a means to get out its strategical crisis, as it found armed conflict with Israel to be ineffective.
The principal demand of the protests was the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to present-day Israel. A majority of Gaza's population consists of refugees from the 1948 Palestine War and their descendants. Israel rejected any right of return, fearing that Jews would become a minority in Israel if too many Palestinians returned.
2018–2019 Gaza border protests