 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.
