owned by the Arabs of Qatra, who had lost it due to debts. They were cultivating it as tenant farmers when the Jewish colonists arrived and resented the intrusion onto what they still thought of as their land. According to another account, the land was actually owned by Qatra, but had been assigned by the government to the nearby village of Mughar when Qatra disclaimed ownership to avoid a certain murder charge. Mughar then sold it to Polivierre, who sold it to Pines. This, and the close proximity of the two sites, led to poor relations between the communities that sometimes led to violent clashes. Israel Belkind, a member of Bilu, described Gedera's relationship with its Arab neighbours as among the worst in all the colonies. Haim Hissin, also a Bilu member, criticized the Arabs for their provocative behaviour, but also blamed the Jews for being unfair and arrogant.
Qatra was depopulated by the Haganah on 17 May 1948.
In the 1950s, a neighborhood called Oriel ("light of God") was established for new immigrants with visual impairments. The immigrants worked in a sheltered workshop and the neighborhood was specially planned to promote their independence.
In December 2012, a Grad rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit Gedera, marking the northernmost point in a round of 200 rockets targeting southern Israel
