Al-Qarara or Al Qarara (Arabic: القرارة) is a Palestinian town located north of Khan Yunis, in the Khan Yunis Governorate of the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Qarara had a population of 29,004 inhabitants in 2017,[1] The town is 15 miles south of Gaza City, and used to be a farming village.[2] It lies on trade routes dating back to the Bronze Age.[2]
al-Qarara | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | القرارة |
| • Latin | al-Qrara (official) el-Qarara (unofficial) |
  al-Qarara  al-Qarara | |
| Coordinates: 31°22′23″N 34°20′21″E / 31.37306°N 34.33917°E | |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Khan Yunis |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Head of Municipality | Eid al-Abdullah |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 29,004 |
History
editThe town was home to the Al Qarara Cultural Museum,[2] but that museum was destroyed by Israeli forces in late 2023 due to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[3] The Israeli military had also ordered that town to be evacuated due to the war.[4]
A pedestrian bridge over Salah Aldin Street for students was completed in the town in September 2023.[5] The bridge had been funded by Japan's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects program.[5]
The siege of Al-Qarara began on 6 December 2023, as Israeli forces also targeted several other towns,namely Absan, Al-Nazla, Bani Suheila, and al-Satr.[6] By 12 December the town was completely surrounded.[7]
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "In Gaza, a museum filled with history 'picked up' along the way". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ Monitor, Euro-Med Human Rights. "As part of its genocidal war in Gaza, Israel destroys Palestinians' cultural heritage". Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ Kingsley, Patrick; Ahmad, Rawan Sheikh; Fuller, Thomas (2023-12-02). "Israel Orders Evacuations Amid 'Intense' Attacks on Southern Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ a b "Completion of a pedestrian bridge in Gaza's al Qarara funded by Japan celebrated". WAFA. 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Latest Updates On Bani Suheila Area In The East Of Khan Yunis (Map) - Islamic World News". 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "The Latest Situation In The South Of The Gaza Strip And Khan Yunis (Map) - Islamic World News". 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
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