Al-Bayuk

Last updated

al-Bayuk
Municipality type D (Village council)
Arabic transcription(s)
 •  Arabic البَيُوك
 •  Latin al-Buyuk (official)
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al-Bayuk
Location of al-Bayuk within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°16′47″N34°18′18″E / 31.27972°N 34.30500°E / 31.27972; 34.30500
State State of Palestine
Governorate Rafah
Government
 • Type Village council
 • Control
Population
 (2006)
 • Total
5,648

Al-Bayuk (Arabic : البَيُوك, also spelled al-Buyuk) is a Palestinian village in the eastern Rafah Governorate located in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), it had a population of 5,648 in 2006. [1] The village has become the de facto capital of the Palestinian anti-Hamas armed group the Popular Forces backed by Israel. [2]

Prior to the 2024 invasion of Rafah, the neighborhood housed more than 20,000 people. [3]

History

Al Bayuk is a small village on the southeastern edge of Rafah, Gaza, historically home to around 5,600 residents. Long overlooked politically, it gained prominence during the Gaza war when the Popular Forces, a clan-based militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab, established control over parts of Al Bayuk, turning it into their operational hub. Backed by Israel, the group used the village’s location near the Kerem Shalom border crossing to control aid routes and expand into Khan Yunis, [4] [5] [6] and now functions as the de facto headquarters for the group. [2]

References

  1. ↑ Projected Mid -Year Population for Rafah Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
  2. 1 2 Macales, Ben Tzion (June 3, 2025). "מפת שליטה עדכנית של כוחות צה"ל ברצועת עזה - 09.06.2025" [Current control map of IDF forces in the Gaza Strip - 09.06.2025.]. X (in Hebrew). Ben Tzion Macales. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #109 [EN/AR/HE] | OCHA". www.unocha.org. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  4. ↑ Battling to survive, Hamas faces defiant clans and doubts over Iran
  5. ↑ "Members of Abu Shabab have taken control of Nasser Hospital | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  6. ↑ Eichner, Itamar; Halabi, Einav (2025-06-05). "Liberman accuses Netanyahu of arming ISIS-linked militias in Gaza; PM's office offers no denial". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
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