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Jabalia
Municipality type A (City)
Arabic transcription(s)
• Arabic	جباليا
• Latin	Jabalya (official)
Jabalia after the 2009 Gaza war
JabaliaLocation of Jabalia within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°31′41″N 34°28′59″E / 31.52806°N 34.48306°E / 31.52806; 34.48306
Palestine grid	100/103
State	State of Palestine
Governorate	North Gaza
Government
• Type	City
Population
• Total	172,704
Name meaning	"The mountaineers"
Website	www.jabalia.ps

Jabalia, also spelled Jabalya (Arabic: جباليا), is a city in the State of Palestine located 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) north of Gaza City, in the North Gaza Governorate of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Jabalia had a population of 172,704 in 2017. The Jabalia refugee camp is adjacent to the city to the north. The nearby town of Nazla is a part of the Jabalia municipality.

Archaeology

A large cemetery dating to the 8th century CE was found near Jabalia. The workmanship indicates that the Christian community in Gaza was still very much in existence in the early Islamic era of rule in Palestine, and capable of artistic achievements. The remains of the pavement spared by the iconoclasts show depictions of wild game, birds, and country scenes. The late dating of the mosaic pavement proves that the intervention of the iconoclasts, after 750, is later than previously thought and is associated with Abbasid conservatives.

While working on the Salah al-Din Road, laborers accidentally uncovered a monastery from the Byzantine period. The site was excavated by the Palestinian Department of Antiquities. Now the stunning Byzantine mosaics of the monastery are covered with sand to shield them from erosion caused by the direct impact of the winter rain. Byzantine ceramics have also been found.

In 2022, the restoration of a fifth-century Byzantine church carried out by the French organisation Premiere Urgence Internationale and the British Council was finished. The church is decorated with mosaics and religious texts written in Greek.

History

Jabalia was known for its fertile soil and citrus trees. The Mamluk Governor of Gaza Sanjar al-Jawli ruled the area in the early 14th century and endowed part of Jabalia's land to the al-Shamah Mosque he built in Gaza.

Until 2014, Jabalia also had the ancient Omari Mosque. The site was believed to have housed a mosque since the seventh century, and its portico and minaret dated back to the 14th century, but the Omari was destroyed by Israeli bombings in 2014. The portico consists of three arcades supported by four stone columns. The arcades have pointed arches and the portico is covered by crossing vaults.

Ottoman period

Incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 with all of Palestine, Jabalia appeared in 1596 tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Gaza of the Liwa of Gazza. It had a population of 331 households, all Muslim, who paid taxes on wheat, barley, vine yards, and fruit trees; a total of 37,640 akçe. 2/3 of the revenue went to a waqf.

In 1838, Edward Robinson noted Jebalia as a Muslim village, located in the Gaza district.

In 1863, Victor Guérin found in the mosque fragments of old constructions, and at the well some broken columns. He further noted: "This village, towards the west, borders on the dunes of the coast. It is surrounded, on the other three sides, by fertile gardens, separated from each other by hedges of cacti and other thorny shrubs. Cultivated with care, they are planted with fig, pomegranate, almond, apricot, lemon and orange trees. There are also a few apple trees. Residents go to sell their fruit in Gaza's various markets."

An Ottoman village list from about 1870 found that the village had a population of 828, in a total of 254 houses, though the population count included men, only. In the Palestine Exploration Fund's 1883 Survey of Western Palestine, Jabalia was described as being a large adobe village, with gardens and a well on the northwest. It had a mosque named Jamia Abu Berjas.

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Jabalia had a population of 1,775 inhabitants, all Muslim, increasing in the 1931 census to 2,425, still all Muslims, in 631 houses.

In the 1945 statistics, Jabalia had a population of 3,520, all Muslims, with 11,497 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey. Of this, 138 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 1,009 for plantations and irrigable land, 1,036 for cereals, while 101 dunams were built-up land.

Post-1948

During the early months of First Intifada on 27 March 1989 Fares S'aid Falcha, aged 50, was beaten by Israeli soldiers. He died 3 weeks later in the Makassed Hospital. A report was compiled by the Military Police Investigators and details were passed on to the Chief Military Prosecutor.

In late 2006, Jabalia was the scene of mass protests against airstrikes on homes. Israel contacted the residences of several Hamas members who launched missiles at Israeli civilians from the houses, warning them of an airstrike within the next 30 minutes. Neighbors responded by forming a human shield and successfully stalled the demolition. In 2021, seven people were killed by a Hamas rocket.

Israel-Hamas war

The Jabalia refugee camp, which has been the target of multiple Israeli air strikes during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, was struck again on 31 October. The Israeli air-strike killed at least 50 Palestinians and trapped more than a hundred beneath the rubble, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Indonesia Hospital said most casualties were women and children. Gaza Interior Ministry stated the camp had been "completely destroyed," with preliminary estimates of about 400 wounded or dead. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that Israeli fighter jets attacked the refugee camp, and stated that the attack killed a Hamas commander who led the 7 October attacks, dozens of Palestinian militants, and destroyed Palestinian tunnels. Hamas claims none of its commanders were present and that Israel was using these claims as an excuse for the attack. The mayor of Jabalia stated Israel had destroyed 75 percent of Jabalia's water wells.

The Battle of Jabalia began on 8 November 2023 as part of the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and ended its first phase in late January 2024 with an Israeli withdrawal. Following this, Palestinian forces and the IDF intermittently clashed in Jabalia. A May 2024 IDF offensive into the city ended on 31 May 2024 with an IDF withdrawal after over two weeks of intense fighting and more than 200 airstrikes. Palestinian officials said that 70% of the refugee camp was destroyed. The Israeli military said that it had destroyed over 10 kilometers of underground tunnels that it says the militants used. The Israeli military also said that it had destroyed a number of weapons production sites and rocket launchers. During the weeks-long operation, troops recovered the bodies of seven Israeli hostages.

Having failed to dismantle Hamas in Jabalia, the IDF reinvaded the city after four months on 5 October 2024.

Demographics

Jabalia's residents have various origins, including the Hauran, Egypt, Bedouin communities, as well as people from Hebron and Jaffa.

A number of male pseudohermaphrodite births have been reported in Jabalia. Jehad Abudaia, a Canadian-Palestinian pediatrician and urologist, has suggested that consanguinity due to cousin marriages accounts for the prevalence of pseudohermaphrodite births. In the Gaza Strip, pseudohermaphrodite conditions often go undetected for years after birth due to the region's lower standards of medical treatment and diagnostics.

Twin towns – sister cities

Jabalia is twinned with:

• Ümraniye, Turkey

References

1. ^ Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
2. Palmer, 1881, p. 360
3. Humbert, Jean-Baptiste. The rivers of Paradise in the Byzantine Church near Jabaliyah - Gaza Archived 2009-02-27 at the Wayback Machine Studium Biblicum Franciscanum - Jerusalem. 16 December 2000.
4. Jabalya Mosaic Archived 2009-03-27 at the Wayback Machine Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People. p.6. 2004.
5. Dauphin, 1998, p. 883
6. "Restored Byzantine church re-opens in Gaza". www.hurriyetdailynews.com. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
7. AFP. "Long-neglected Gaza heritage wilts in war". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
8. Travel in Gaza Archived 2013-08-23 at the Wayback Machine MidEastTravelling.
9. Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 144
10. Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 118
11. Guérin, 1869, pp. 175-176; as referred by Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 251
12. Guérin, 1869, pp. 176: "Ce village, vers l'ouest, touche aux dunes de la côte. Il est entouré, des trois autres côtés, de fertiles jardins, que separent entre eux des haies de cactus et d'autres arbustes épineux. Cultivés avec soin, ils sont plantés de figuiers, de grenadiers, d'amandiers, d'apricotiers, de citronniers et d'orangers. On y aperçoit aussi quelques pommiers. Les habitants vont vendre leurs fruits aux divers marchés de Gaza."
13. Socin, 1879, p. 153
14. Hartmann, 1883, p. 129, noted 253 houses
15. Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 236
16. Barron, 1923, Table V, Sub-district of Gaza, p. 8
17. Mills, 1932, p. 4
18. Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 31
19. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 45
20. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 87
21. Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 137
22. Talmor, Ronny (translated by Ralph Mandel) (1990) The Use of Firearms - By the Security Forces in the Occupied Territories. B'Tselem. download p. 75 MK Yair Tsaban to defence ministers Yitzhak Rabin & Yitzhak Shamir, p.81 Rabin's reply
23. Conal Urquhart in Tel Aviv (2006-11-20). "Palestinians use human shield to halt Israeli air strike on militants' homes | World news". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
24. Mpoke Bigg, Matthew; Zraick, Karen; Boxerman, Aaron (31 October 2023). "Images of the Jabaliya refugee camp show a large crater and widespread damage". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
25. "Rescue teams trying to evacuate people from under the rubble". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
26. David Gritten. "Jabalia: Israel air strike reportedly kills dozens at Gaza refugee camp". BBC News.
27. "Jabalia refugee camp 'completely destroyed'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
28. "Israel Gaza live news: Dozens reported killed in Gaza refugee camp blast". BBC News. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
29. "Dozens reported killed in Gaza refugee camp blast". BBC News. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
30. Al-Mughrabi, Nidal; Rose, Emily; Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (31 October 2023). "Israel strikes dense Gaza camp, says it kills Hamas commander". Reuters. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
31. "Israel has destroyed most water wells in Jabalia: Mayor". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
32. "IRAN UPDATE, JANUARY 30, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
33. "IRAN UPDATE, FEBRUARY 10, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
34. "IRAN UPDATE, FEBRUARY 21, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
35. "Iran Update, March 4, 2024" (PDF). 4 March 2024.
36. "IRAN UPDATE, MARCH 9, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
37. "IRAN UPDATE, APRIL 16, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
38. ^ Mackenzie, James (31 May 2024). "Israel completes combat operations in part of north Gaza, military says". Reuters. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
39. Mohanna, Nagham; Aldroubi, Mina (2024-05-31). "Israeli forces withdraw after 20-day operation destroys 70 per cent of Gaza's Jabalia camp". The National. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
40. "Gaza war: Israeli military says it has pulled out of Jabalia". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
41. "Iran Update, May 31, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
42. "Dozens killed in Gaza as Israeli army launches new incursion in north". Reuters. 6 October 2024.
43. Grossman, D. (1986). "Oscillations in the Rural Settlement of Samaria and Judaea in the Ottoman Period". in Shomron studies. Dar, S., Safrai, S., (eds). Tel Aviv: Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House. p. 385
44. Watson, Ivan. "Rare Gender Identity Defect Hits Gaza Families." CNN. December 17, 2009. Retrieved on December 17, 2009.
45. "Ümraniye Municipality and Palestine Jabalia Al Nazlah Municipality Has Become 'Sister Municipalities' With a Ceremony". umraniye.bel.tr. Ümraniye. Retrieved 2020-06-01.

Bibliography

• Barron, J.B., ed. (1923). Palestine: Report and General Abstracts of the Census of 1922. Government of Palestine.
• Conder, C.R.; Kitchener, H.H. (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. Vol. 3. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
• Dauphin, C. (1998). La Palestine byzantine, Peuplement et Populations. BAR International Series 726 (in French). Vol. III : Catalogue. Oxford: Archeopress. ISBN 0-860549-05-4.
• Department of Statistics (1945). Village Statistics, April, 1945. Government of Palestine.
• Guérin, V. (1869). Description Géographique Historique et Archéologique de la Palestine (in French). Vol. 1: Judee, pt. 2. Paris: L'Imprimerie Nationale.
• Hadawi, S. (1970). Village Statistics of 1945: A Classification of Land and Area ownership in Palestine. Palestine Liberation Organization Research Center.
• Hartmann, M. (1883). "Die Ortschaftenliste des Liwa Jerusalem in dem türkischen Staatskalender für Syrien auf das Jahr 1288 der Flucht (1871)". Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins. 6: 102–149.
• Hütteroth, W.-D.; Abdulfattah, K. (1977). Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft. ISBN 3-920405-41-2.
• Mills, E., ed. (1932). Census of Palestine 1931. Population of Villages, Towns and Administrative Areas. Jerusalem: Government of Palestine.
• Palmer, E.H. (1881). The Survey of Western Palestine: Arabic and English Name Lists Collected During the Survey by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener, R. E. Transliterated and Explained by E.H. Palmer. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
• Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.
• Socin, A. (1879). "Alphabetisches Verzeichniss von Ortschaften des Paschalik Jerusalem". Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins. 2: 135–163.

External links

• UNRWA Jabalia
• Welcome To The City of Jabaliya
• Survey of Western Palestine, Map 19: IAA, Wikimedia commons

v t e North Gaza Governorate
Cities	Jabalia (Nazla)
Municipalities	Beit Hanoun Beit Lahia
Villages	Izbat Beit Hanoun Om al-Nasr or Al-Qaraya al-Badawiya al-Maslakh
Refugee camps	Jabalia Camp

• Cities
• Palestine

• North Gaza Governorate
• Jabalia
• Municipalities of the State of Palestine