How did Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza take place?

Israel’s 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip was a unilateral process initiated by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to remove all Israeli security forces and settlements from the territory.12

Following approval by the Knesset in 2004, the evacuation began in August 2005. While many of the approximately 9,000 settlers left voluntarily, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) enforced the order against those who resisted, including dramatic removals from barricaded locations like the synagogue in Kfar Darom. By August 22, the final residents in Netzarim had agreed to evacuate.2

In the weeks following the removal of the settlers, Israeli forces dismantled military installations and demolished residential buildings, completing the withdrawal on September 12, 2005. The plan also included the evacuation of four small settlements in the West Bank. Despite the withdrawal, Israel retained control over Gaza’s borders, airspace, and coastline. The process was carried out without close coordination with the Palestinian Authority, and the territory subsequently fell under the control of Hamas in 2007.21