In my paper I intend to reconstruct the history of the border between Gaza and Israel and, in particular, the policies implemented by the various Israeli governments in regulating access/exit to/from the Strip between 1967, when there was a total opening, to 2007, when a complete shutdown began. More specifically, I want to highlight some turning points of this policy: 1971, when a security fence was erected around the Strip; 1991, when Israel introduced for the first time the system of exit permits for the population of the Strip; 1994, when the partial withdrawal of the army from Gaza was accompanied by the birth of the Palestinian Authority but also by the system of checkpoints within the Strip; 2000, when the outbreak of the Second Intifada saw the beginning of a policy of progressive closure; 2005, when the Israeli disengagement, instead of improving the situation, further diminished the possibility of the Palestinian population leaving Gaza; 2007, with the total closure of the Strip after the Hamas "coup d`état". In terms of questions, I aim at addressing the following ones: What were the reasons that led the Israeli government to act in this way? What objectives did this aim to achieve? What consequences did these choices have on the relations between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority? What impact did this politics have on the living condition of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip as well as the Israeli population living in the surrounding areas? In addition to the existing bibliography, I will mainly use two types of primary sources: reports by UN agencies, and international and local NGOs, as well as press (Israeli, Palestinian and international).