 As a result of the 1948 Arab @-@ Israeli War , Egypt obtained control of Gaza and the surrounding area . Gaza 's growing population was augmented by an influx of refugees fleeing nearby cities , towns and villages that were captured by Israel . From 1948 through 1959 , Gaza was nominally under the jurisdiction of the All @-@ Palestine Government , an entity established by the Arab League during the 1948 Arab @-@ Israeli War , purportedly to provide a Palestinian government for Palestine . However , the members of the Government were removed to Cairo , and had little or no influence over events in Gaza . Egyptian occupation of the Gaza Strip was interrupted for four months during the 1956 Suez Crisis . 
