RAF Gaza

Political change and military withdrawal. The airport ceased operations as a British military base with the end of the British Mandate for Palestine and the subsequent withdrawal of all British forces in May 1948. The site was later completely absorbed by the urban expansion of Gaza City.

The site of the former RAF Gaza is now a densely populated urban area within Gaza City. There are no visible remnants of the airfield, such as runways or hangars. The land is occupied by residential neighborhoods, commercial buildings, and several major institutions, including the main Gaza compound for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Al-Azhar University, and the Islamic University of Gaza. The area is completely unrecognizable as a former airport.

RAF Gaza was a significant Royal Air Force station during the British Mandate period (1920-1948). It served as a key strategic airfield in the region for controlling air routes between Egypt and the Levant. During World War II, it was a major base for various RAF squadrons, including fighter, bomber, and transport units, playing a role in the North African and Mediterranean campaigns. It also served as a base for internal security operations during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. After the British withdrawal in 1948, the airfield fell under Egyptian control and was used briefly by the Royal Egyptian Air Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Following the war, the airfield fell into disuse and was gradually built over as Gaza City expanded.

There are zero prospects for reopening an airport at this location. The site has been fully and densely developed for many decades. Any future plans for an airport to serve the Gaza Strip would require a completely different, undeveloped location, such as the site of the former Yasser Arafat International Airport (GZA/LVGZ) located in the south of the strip.