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Jabalia

Coordinates: 31°31′41″N 34°28′59″E / 31.52806°N 34.48306°E / 31.52806; 34.48306
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(Redirected from Jabalya)
Not to be confused with Jabalia refugee camp.
For other uses, see Jabaliya (disambiguation).
Jabalia
Municipality type A (City)
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicجباليا
 • LatinJabalya (official)
Ruins of Jabalia, in February 2025
Ruins of Jabalia, in February 2025
Map
Interactive map of Jabalia
Jabalia is located in State of Palestine
Jabalia
Jabalia
Location of Jabalia within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°31′41″N 34°28′59″E / 31.52806°N 34.48306°E / 31.52806; 34.48306
Palestine grid100/103
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateNorth Gaza
Government
 • TypeCity
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total
172,704
Name meaning"The mountaineers"[2]
Websitewww.jabalia.ps

Jabalia, also spelled Jabalya (Arabic: جباليا), is a city in the Gaza Strip, 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.[1] In addition to Jabalia, the city municipality contains the Jabalia refugee camp and the town of Nazla, the latter of which was an independent village council before being merged with Jabalia.

History

During the Byzantine period, there was a church at Jabalia. The church was likely established in the 5th century and used into the 8th century. No contemporary settlement nearby had been identified, and the archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Humbert suggested that the church may have been part of a necropolis for Gaza.[3] Byzantine ceramics have also been found in Jabalia.[4]

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 7nth century, and its portico and minaret dated back to the 14th century, but the Omari was destroyed by Israeli bombings in 2014.[5] The portico consists of three arcades supported by four stone columns. The arcades have pointed arches and the portico is covered by crossing vaults.[6]

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.[7]

In 1838, Edward Robinson noted Jebalia as a Muslim village, located in the Gaza district.[8]

In 1863, Victor Guérin found in the mosque fragments of old constructions, and at the well some broken columns.[9] 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."[10]

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.[11][12] 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.[13]

British Mandate era

Jabalia 1931 1:20,000

In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Jabalia had a population of 1,775 inhabitants, all Muslim,[14] increasing in the 1931 census to 2,425, still all Muslims, in 631 houses.[15]

Jabalia 1945 1:250,000

In the 1945 statistics, Jabalia had a population of 3,520, all Muslims,[16] with 11,497 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[17] Of this, 138 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 1,009 for plantations and irrigable land, 1,036 for cereals,[18] while 101 dunams were built-up land.[19]

Post-1948

See also: 2004 Israeli operation in the northern Gaza Strip

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.[20]

Jabalia after the 2009 Gaza war

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.[21] In 2021, seven people were killed by a Hamas rocket.

After a multi-year restoration project, the Byzantine church at Jabalia opened to the public in January 2022.[22]

Gaza war

Main articles: Battle of Jabalia and Second battle of Jabalia
See also: 31 October 2023 Jabalia refugee camp airstrike and Jabalia refugee camp airstrikes (2023–present)

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.[23] The Israeli air-strike killed at least 50 Palestinians and trapped more than a hundred beneath the rubble, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.[24] The Indonesia Hospital said most casualties were women and children.[25] Gaza Interior Ministry stated the camp had been "completely destroyed," with preliminary estimates of about 400 wounded or dead.[26] IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that Israeli fighter jets attacked the refugee camp,[27] and stated that the attack killed a Hamas commander who led the October 7 attacks, dozens of Palestinian militants, and destroyed Palestinian tunnels.[28] Hamas claims none of its commanders were present and that Israel was using these claims as an excuse for the attack.[29] The mayor of Jabalia stated Israel had destroyed 75 percent of Jabalia's water wells.[30]

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.[31] Following this, Palestinian forces and the IDF intermittently clashed in Jabalia.[32][33][34][35][36] 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.[37][38] The Israeli military also said that it had destroyed a number of weapons production sites and rocket launchers.[37][39] During the weeks-long operation, troops recovered the bodies of seven Israeli hostages.[37]

Having failed to dismantle Hamas in Jabalia,[40] the IDF reinvaded the city after four months on 5 October 2024.[41]

Demographics

Jabalia's residents have various origins, including the Hauran, Egypt, Bedouin communities, as well as people from Hebron and Jaffa.[42]

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.[43]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the State of Palestine

Jabalia is twinned with:[44]

References

  1. ^ a b 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, 1999 & 216-218.
  4. ^ Dauphin, 1998, p. 883
  5. ^ AFP. "Long-neglected Gaza heritage wilts in war". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  6. ^ Travel in Gaza Archived 2013-08-23 at the Wayback Machine MidEastTravelling.
  7. ^ Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 144
  8. ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 118
  9. ^ Guérin, 1869, pp. 175-176; as referred by Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 251
  10. ^ 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."
  11. ^ Socin, 1879, p. 153
  12. ^ Hartmann, 1883, p. 129, noted 253 houses
  13. ^ Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 236
  14. ^ Barron, 1923, Table V, Sub-district of Gaza, p. 8
  15. ^ Mills, 1932, p. 4
  16. ^ Department of Statistics, 1945, p. 31
  17. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 45
  18. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 87
  19. ^ Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. Village Statistics, April 1945. Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. 137
  20. ^ 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
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "Byzantine-era church reopens in Gaza". Middle East Monitor. 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ "Rescue teams trying to evacuate people from under the rubble". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  25. ^ David Gritten. "Jabalia: Israel air strike reportedly kills dozens at Gaza refugee camp". BBC News.
  26. ^ "Jabalia refugee camp 'completely destroyed'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Israel Gaza live news: Dozens reported killed in Gaza refugee camp blast". BBC News. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  28. ^ "Dozens reported killed in Gaza refugee camp blast". BBC News. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ "Israel has destroyed most water wells in Jabalia: Mayor". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  31. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, JANUARY 30, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  32. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, FEBRUARY 10, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  33. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, FEBRUARY 21, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  34. ^ "Iran Update, March 4, 2024" (PDF). 4 March 2024.
  35. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, MARCH 9, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  36. ^ "IRAN UPDATE, APRIL 16, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  37. ^ a b c Mackenzie, James (31 May 2024). "Israel completes combat operations in part of north Gaza, military says". Reuters. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ "Gaza war: Israeli military says it has pulled out of Jabalia". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  40. ^ "Iran Update, May 31, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  41. ^ "Dozens killed in Gaza as Israeli army launches new incursion in north". Reuters. 6 October 2024.
  42. ^ 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
  43. ^ Watson, Ivan. "Rare Gender Identity Defect Hits Gaza Families." CNN. December 17, 2009. Retrieved on December 17, 2009.
  44. ^ "Ümraniye Municipality and Palestine Jabalia Al Nazlah Municipality Has Become 'Sister Municipalities' With a Ceremony". umraniye.bel.tr. Ümraniye. Archived from the original on 2021-08-23. Retrieved 2020-06-01.

Bibliography

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