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Beit Hanoun

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Beit Hanoun or Beit Hanun (Arabic: بيت حانون) is a Palestinian city on the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 52,237 in 2017.[1] As a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Beit Hanoun has been militarily contested between the Hamas administration and Israel. Furthermore, the town has been entirely depopulated, and virtually all its structures have either been destroyed or rendered unusable due to extreme damage. The remains of Beit Hanoun are located by the Nahal-Hanun stream, 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) away from the Israeli town of Sderot.

Beit Hanoun
Municipality type A (City)
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicبيت حانون
 • LatinBeit Hanun (official)
Bayt Hanun (unofficial)
Official logo of Beit Hanoun
Municipal Seal of Beit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun is located in State of Palestine
Beit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun
Location of Beit Hanoun within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°32′19″N 34°32′14″E / 31.53861°N 34.53722°E / 31.53861; 34.53722
Palestine grid105/105
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateNorth Gaza
Date of depopulationLate 2023
Government
 • TypeCity
 • Head of MunicipalityMohamad Nazek al-Kafarna
Area
 • Total12,500 dunams (12.5 km2 or 4.8 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total52,237
 • Estimate 
(2023)
0
 • Density4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
Name meaning"The house of Hanun"[2]
Websitewww.beithanoun.ps
Map

History

 
The 1239 Beit Hanoun battle, by Matthew Paris

The Ayyubids defeated the Crusaders at a battle in Umm al-Nasser hill, just west of Beit Hanoun in 1239, and built the Umm al-Naser Mosque ("Mother of Victories Mosque") there in commemoration of the victory.[3] A Mamluk post office was located in Beit Hanoun as well.[4]

Ottoman era

Incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 with all of Historic Palestine, Beit Hanoun appeared in the 1596 tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Gaza, part of Gaza Sanjak. It had a population of 36 Muslim households and paid a fixed tax rate of 33.3% on wheat, barley, summer crops, fruit trees, occasional revenues, goats and/or beehives; a total of 9,300 akçe.[5]

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the area of Beit Hanoun experienced a significant process of settlement decline due to nomadic pressures on local communities. The residents of abandoned villages moved to survive settlements, but the land continued to be cultivated by neighbouring villages.[6] Beit Hanoun survived, and Pierre Jacotin named the village Deir Naroun on his map depicting Napoleon's Syrian campaign of 1799.[7]

In 1838, Edward Robinson passed by and described how "all were busy with the wheat harvest; the reapers were in the fields; donkeys and camels were moving homewards with their high loads of sheaves; while on the threshing-floors near the village, I counted not less than thirty gangs of cattle."[8] He further noted it as a Muslim village, located in the Gaza district.[9] In May 1863, the Victor Guérin visited the village. He observed indications of ancient constructions in the shape of cut stones, fragments of columns, and bases among the gardens.[10] He further noted that the population consisted of "400 souls".[11] Socin found from an official Ottoman village list from about 1870 that Beit Hanoun had 94 houses and a population of 294. However, the population count included men only.[12] Hartmann found that Bet Hanun had 95 houses.[13]

In 1883, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described it as a small adobe village, "surrounded by gardens, with a well to the west. The ground is flat, and to the east is a pond beside the road."[14]

British Mandate era

 
Beit Hanoun 1931 1:20,000

In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Beit Hanoun had a population of 885 inhabitants, all Muslim,[15] decreasing in the 1931 census to 849, still all Muslims, in 194 houses.[16]

 
Beit Hanoun 1945 1:250,000

In the 1945 statistics, Beit Hanun had a population of 1,680 Muslims and 50 Jews, with 20,025 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.[17][18] Of this, 2,768 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 697 were plantations and irrigable land, 13,186 used for cereals,[19] while 59 dunams were built-up land.[20]

Egyptian occupation

 
Members of Yiftach Brigade beside a mosque, Beit Hanoun, 1948

In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the vicinity of Beit Hanoun, and later Beit Hanoun itself, served as an Israeli tactical wedge (Beit Hanoun wedge) to halt the movement of the Egyptian army from Ashkelon to forces to the south in the area that later became the Gaza Strip.

During the occupation, Egypt complained to the Mixed Armistice Commission that on the 7 and 14 October 1950, Israeli military forces had shelled and machine-gunned the Arab villages of Abasan al-Kabera and Beit Hanoun in Egyptian controlled territory of the Gaza Strip. According to Egypt, this action caused the death of seven and the wounding of twenty civilians.[21]

Israeli occupation

See also: 2004 Israeli operation in the northern Gaza Strip
 
The body of a person killed in the home of 'Abd al-Hafez Hamad. Six members of one family were killed when their house was bombed on the night of 8 July 2014, see Hamad family home[22]

According to the Palestinian Authority, 140 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in Beit Hanoun from September 2000 to November 2006.[23]

The Israeli army besieged Beit Hanoun from 15 May to 30 June 2003, during which it demolished dozens of houses, razed large areas of agricultural land and largely destroyed the civilian infrastructure of the town.[24] During the Raid on Beit Hanoun in 2004, the town was besieged for 37 days. About 20 Palestinians were killed, and again immense damage was caused to property and infrastructure. The infrastructure of Beit Hanoun was heavily damaged during an incursion by Israeli forces in 2005.[25]

Palestinian administration

Following the removal of Israeli settlers from Gaza in August 2005, 19 Palestinian civilians were killed in the 2006 shelling of Beit Hanoun. In December 2006, the UN appointed a fact-finding commission led by Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu to investigate the attack. Despite initial difficulties accessing the area via Israel, the commission, led by legal scholar Christine Chinkin and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, eventually entered Gaza through Egypt.[26] Tutu's final report to the United Nations human rights council[27] concluded that "[I]n the absence of a well-founded explanation from the Israeli military – who is in sole possession of the relevant facts – the mission must conclude that there is a possibility that the shelling of Beit Hanoun constituted a war crime."[28]

On 27 March 2007, sewage water flooded the northern Umm al-Nasser suburb of Beit Hanoun, killing five people.[29]

Shells and rockets hit Beit Hanoun was hit several times during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict. The shelling of a UNWRA Elementary school by Israel killed 11–15 people, including women and children.[30] The Israeli Defense forces claimed that "the IDF encountered heavy fire in vicinity of the school, including anti-tank missile... [and] that an errant mortar did indeed land in the empty courtyard of the school."[31]

Israel-Hamas war

Main article: Battle of Beit Hanoun

Israeli forces advanced on the city on 27 October 2023.[32][33] By 12 November, the IDF advanced beyond the city, however, they continued to be attacked behind the frontlines due to a maintained presence of Saraya Al Quds and Al-Qassam militants. As a result of massive bombardment campaigns and the ground invasion, Beit Hanoun is believed to be entirely depopulated and destroyed, with destruction so extensive that it has been described as "no longer existing".[34][35] On 18 December 2023, it was reported that Israeli forces had full control over Beit Hanoun and had destroyed Hamas’ Beit Hanoun Battalion.[36][37]

However, local media claimed that on 24 December, Israeli forces left Beit Hanoun due to remaining Palestinian fighting in the city.[38][39] IDF withdrawal was not confirmed by independent media. Civilians were seen tearing down Israeli flags that were flown in the city in late December.[40]

On February 6, 2024 it was reported that the IDF was again operating in Bait Hanoun and that troops had identified "four terrorist operatives trying to set up observation infrastructure in an attempt to restore intelligence-gathering capabilities" in Beit Hanoun and had launched a strike against them.[41]

On 31 May 2024, the IDF once more ended up withdrawing from Beit Hanoun following a 20-day operation that marked the end of the Battle of Jabalia.[42]

Educational and health institutions

There were twelve secondary, primary and agricultural schools in Beit Hanoun and an agricultural college which is related to al-Azhar University - Gaza. There was a medical center and hospital in the city and several clinics mostly managed by the United Nations.[43] All have been rendered unusable or destroyed during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.

Demographics

In 1922, Beit Hanoun had a population of 885.[15] In 1931, the population slightly decreased to 849.[44] The population then increased to 946 in 1938.[45] Up to this point, the population had been entirely Muslim. The population increased again by 1945 to 1,730 (1,680 Muslims and 50 Jews).[17][18] In 1961, the population rose to 3,876.[46]

Beit Hanoun's residents have various origins, including people from Egypt, Kurds from Hebron, the Hauran (southwest Syria), Transjordan, and Bedouin communities.[47]

In the first official census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Beit Hanoun had a population of 20,780. Over 90% of the residents were Palestinian refugees.[48] There were 10,479 males and 10,301 females. People of 14 years of age or younger constituted the majority at 65.6%, people between the ages of 20 and 44 were 26.8%, 45 to 64 was 5.7%, and residents above the age of 65 were 1.9%.[49]

As of mid-December 2023, as a result of the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, Beit Hanoun has been entirely depopulated, and virtually all its structures either destroyed or rendered unusable due to extreme damage.

See also

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. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. ^ Palmer 1881, p. 358.
  3. ^ Sharon 1999, p. 98 ff.
  4. ^ "Beit Hanoon". Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  5. ^ Hütteroth & Abdulfattah 1977, p. 147
  6. ^ Marom, R.; Taxel, Itamar (1 January 2023). "Ḥamāma: The historical geography of settlement continuity and change in Majdal 'Asqalān's hinterland, 1270 – 1750 CE". Journal of Historical Geography. 82: 49–65. doi:10.1016/j.jhg.2023.08.003. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  7. ^ Karmon 1960, p. 173.
  8. ^ Robinson & Smith 1841, Vol 2, pp. 371–372.
  9. ^ Robinson & Smith 1841, Vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 118.
  10. ^ Guérin 1869, p. 175, as noted by Conder & Kitchener 1883, SWP III, p. 247
  11. ^ Guérin 1869, p. 175
  12. ^ Socin 1879, p. 146.
  13. ^ Hartmann 1883, p. 129.
  14. ^ Conder & Kitchener 1883, SWP III, p. 233.
  15. ^ a b Barron 1923, Table V, Sub-district of Gaza, p. 8
  16. ^ Mills 1932, p. 2.
  17. ^ a b Department of Statistics 1945, p. 31
  18. ^ a b Department of Statistics 1945 Quoted in Hadawi 1970, p. 45
  19. ^ Department of Statistics 1945 Quoted in Hadawi 1970, p. 86
  20. ^ Department of Statistics 1945 Quoted in Hadawi 1970, p. 136
  21. ^ UN Doc S/1459 (PDF) (Report). Mixed Armistice Commission. 20 February 1950.
  22. ^ "Gaza Strip, July 2014: A constant state of emergency". B'Tselem. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  23. ^ "Palestinian Authority". Archived from the original on 19 January 2007.
  24. ^ "Uprooting Palestinian Trees And Leveling Agricultural Land". PCHR. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  25. ^ Damage Assessment: Beit Hanoun Area (PDF) (Report). European Commission. 17 December 2005. MED/2004/090-716. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009.
  26. ^ Allen, Lori (2021). A History of False Hope (1st ed.). Redwood City: Stanford University Press. pp. 221–223. ISBN 9781503606722.
  27. ^ HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES Report of the high-level fact-finding mission to Beit Hanoun established under Council resolution S-3/1
  28. ^ Rory McCarthy (15 September 2008). "Israeli shelling of Beit Hanoun a possible war crime, Desmond Tutu tells UN". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  29. ^ "Sewage flood causes Gaza deaths". 27 March 2007. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  30. ^ "Israel Hits UN-Run Shelter, Gaza Officials Say". Newsweek. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on 17 September 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  31. ^ "UNRWA, The Guardian Feature Article, 20 August 2014". Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  32. ^ "Palestinian Sources Report IDF Armor Advancements on Beit Hanoun, Intense Strikes Continue | Atlas News". 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  33. ^ Yerushalmy, Jonathan (27 October 2023). "Gaza before and after: satellite images show destruction following Israeli airstrikes". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  34. ^ Carter, Brian; Moore, Johanna; Soltani, Amin; Carl, Nicholas (12 November 2023). "Iran Update, November 12, 2023". Critical Threats. Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  35. ^ "Inside Gaza with the Israeli army as it hunts for Hamas tunnels". Le Monde. 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  36. ^ Jhaveri, Ashka; Soltani, Amin; Parry, Andie; Braverman, Alexandra; Ganzeveld, Annika; Tyson, Kathryn; Mills, Peter (18 December 2023). "Iran Update, December 18, 2023". Critical Threats. Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  37. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (18 December 2023). "IDF signals full control over Beit Hanoun in north Gaza". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  38. ^ "صحفيون في شمال قطاع غزة: جيش الاحتلال انسحب من بيت حانون". royanews. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  39. ^ "اللواء الدويري: إسرائيل مضطربة وجحر الديك صورة لما تواجهه قواتها بغزة". Aljazeera. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  40. ^ ""مش راح نرفع الراية البيضاء ولا نركع لأميركا وإسرائيل". شاب فلسطيني ينزع علم الاحتلال عن منزل دمره الاحتلال في بيت حانون شمال القطاع=". Nabz. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  41. ^ "Houthis say they will increase attacks on US and UK ships in the Red Sea if the war in Gaza does not stop". CNN. 6 February 2024. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  42. ^ admin (31 May 2024). "Israeli Forces Withdraw from Northern Gaza - Extensive Damage and Casualties". Palestine Chronicle. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  43. ^ "Our City – Beithanoun Municipality". Archived from the original on 16 February 2012.
  44. ^ Palestine Census 1931.
  45. ^ Village Statistics (PDF). 1938. p. 62. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  46. ^ "Welcome To Bayt Hanun". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  47. ^ Grossman, D (1986). "Oscillations in the Rural Settlement of Samaria and Judaea in the Ottoman Period". In Dar, S.; Safrai, S. (eds.). Shomron Studies. Tel Aviv: Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House. p. 385.
  48. ^ "Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). Archived from the original on 18 November 2008.
  49. ^ "Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). Archived from the original on 18 November 2008.

Bibliography

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