Salah Al-Din Street in Gaza: A Road Through Time and Conflict
by Aya Al-Hattab
_{Published in Solarpunk Magazine Issue #28 | July 14, 2026}

Salah al-Din Street is the longest road in the Gaza Strip, stretching from the Rafah crossing in the southern part of Gaza Strip to the Erez crossing in Beit Hanoun in the north Gaza Strip, covering approximately 45 kilometers. It serves as the main north–south artery of the Strip, effectively dividing it longitudinally and functioning as one of its most important transportation routes. Some historical accounts also describe it as part of an ancient corridor that has been used for movement and trade through the region for centuries.¹

For three years, I commuted along this road daily because my university was only about fifteen minutes from my home and situated near Salah al-Din Street. The journey itself became part of my routine, and I often appreciated it. The road allowed for relatively smooth travel, with long open stretches that made movement easy. On one side were agricultural fields that changed with the seasons, while on the other stood factories and industrial buildings, creating a striking contrast. The constant sound of fast-moving cars, trucks, university buses, and school buses filled the air, carrying people to work, school, or home. Unlike the crowded streets in Gaza’s city centers, Salah al-Din Street felt like a road in motion—defined by the steady flow of traffic rather than by shops or pedestrians. It was a place people passed through every day, connecting different parts of the Gaza Strip.

I learned more about Salah al-Din Street while working with a media team, students from Al-Azhar University, producing videos that introduce different areas of the Gaza Strip and highlight their historical and cultural significance. I joined them on two field trips. The first was to Beit Hanoun in September 2022, where we stopped near the town’s borders with the occupied territories at an agricultural school close to the border area. From there, we were able to observe the surroundings and continued on foot in the opposite direction toward the entrance of Beit Hanoun.

“With each violation of the ceasefire, Israeli forces advance toward Salah al-Din Street and restrict civilian access to it, making movement increasingly difficult for residents.”

The second trip, to Khan Younis, took place in December 2022. We all travelled together in one vehicle as the media team, heading south along Salah al-Din Street. The car moved quickly, keeping pace with the fast traffic on the road. Along the way, we chatted, laughed, and enjoyed the cool air flowing through the windows, making the journey itself part of the experience. We visited archaeological sites and learned more about the history of Salah al-Din Street and its branches, while also exploring roads I had not been familiar with before.

The last time I saw Salah al-Din Street at its beauty, yet also most crowded, was during the first week of the 2023 war, when Gazans were instructed by the Israeli occupation forces to move south along Salah al-Din Street. About a month later, Israeli forces advanced further into the Gaza Strip and reached the street with tanks, following extensive aerial and ground attacks that cleared and destroyed many of the surrounding buildings obstructing their path.

During that period, the road was closed to civilians, preventing Palestinians in Gaza from returning to the northern part of the Strip. About a month later, Salah al-Din Street came under full Israeli control, and movement along the road was restricted in both directions.

Throughout the war until the ceasefire in October 2025, Salah al-Din Street across the Gaza Strip experienced extensive destruction, including widespread damage to infrastructure and significant earthmoving activity. When residents returned to their homes after the second ceasefire in October 2025, they found all sections of the street heavily altered and scarred by prolonged military activity, with its landscape significantly changed and much of its original character affected.

“Life under occupation reshapes even the most ordinary parts of daily existence. Streets that once connected communities become controlled spaces marked by damage, restriction, violence, and uncertainty. “

With each violation of the ceasefire, Israeli forces advance toward Salah al-Din Street and restrict civilian access to it, making movement increasingly difficult for residents. In addition, even when Gazans are permitted to move along Salah al-Din Street, and even after the announcement of the October 2025 ceasefire, incidents occur in which civilians come under fire, resulting in injuries and fatalities.

A boundary known as the “yellow line” was introduced by Israeli forces at the beginning of the war, marking areas in the northern and eastern parts of the Gaza Strip as restricted military zones. Over time, this demarcation expanded as additional areas were brought under military control, with visible markers used to indicate the shifting line. Eventually, these markers reached areas adjacent to Salah al-Din Street, making the extent of the restricted zone clearly visible to civilians and significantly reducing the accessible territory within the Gaza Strip.

Since I live near Salah al-Din Street, I often hear explosions in the area. Tanks approach the street frequently at night, and shelling can be heard on a regular basis.

Based on my experience traveling from the central Gaza Strip to Gaza City along Salah al-Din Street, I observed that movement near the “yellow line” is extremely restricted and dangerous. On one occasion, while I was in a car, I saw a horse lying on the ground, apparently shot after crossing into a restricted area marked by yellow boundary blocks. I felt deeply saddened and unwell for several days after witnessing the sight of a dead animal, which appeared to be treated as though it posed a threat or required caution by Israeli forces.

Life under occupation reshapes even the most ordinary parts of daily existence. Streets that once connected communities become controlled spaces marked by damage, restriction, violence, and uncertainty. Movement is no longer a basic right but something subject to sudden limits and changing conditions, leaving daily life defined by instability and the loss of normal access.

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FOOTNOTES

1. Some resources on this history include:
   
   a. Hütteroth, Wolf-Dieter & Kamal Abdulfattah. Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlangen: Fränkische Geographische Gesellschaft, 1977.
   While focused on the Ottoman period, it discusses the historical road network in Palestine, including the main north–south route.
   
   b. Aharoni, Yohanan. The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1979.
   Describes the ancient coastal highway (often known as the Via Maris), parts of which correspond to the modern Salah al-Din route through Gaza.
   
   c. Richard, Suzanne (ed.). Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader. Eisenbrauns, 2003.
   Discusses Gaza’s position on the ancient coastal trade route linking Egypt and the Levant.
   
   d. Encyclopaedia Britannica, entry on Via Maris.
   Explains that the coastal route from Egypt through Gaza into the Levant was one of the principal ancient trade and military roads. ↩︎