A great, long read on the civil rights of Gazan Palestinians, and probably a bit surprising given the recent history (filtered through the US mainstream media) we're more familiar with:
Until the early 2000s — prior to the beginning of a partly Hamas-led campaign of terrorist attacks inside of Israel, often planned from Gaza — it was possible for Gazans to fly out of the territory.
Between 1998 and 2001, they could leave Gaza on Palestinian Airlines, which operated out of Yasser Arafat International Airport, just a short drive up a now-sleepy and unpaved road from the Rafah crossing. Like the Erez terminal, it was a sign that both Israelis and Gazans once envisioned a much different future together.