The following is the list of cities in the Gaza Strip, included within five governorates, administered by Hamas Government in Gaza.
After the 1995 Interim Agreements, the PNA took control of civil affairs in both designated Areas, A and B where ultimately all Palestinian population centers are located (except those within the municipal borders of East Jerusalem). Israeli Defense Forces became responsible for security in Area B. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics took its first official census in 1997, and has not taken one since, however they have used provisional estimates to determine the current population. [1] The most current estimate was in 2006. Shortly after Hamas took power in Gaza Strip, following the Battle of Gaza (2007) and became the de facto administration in the area.[ citation needed ]
The following is a list of all Hamas-administered Palestinian cities, their governorates, their specific jurisdictions and their provisional populations as of 2006 by the PCBS.
Common Name | Arabic Name | Governorate | Jurisdiction | Population (2007) | Population (2017) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bani Suheila | بني سهيلا | Khan Yunis | Area A | 31,118 | 41,439 |
Beit Hanoun | بيت حانون | North Gaza | Area A | 37,351 | 52,237 |
Beit Lahiya | بيت لاهيا | North Gaza | Area A | 63,213 | 89,838 |
Deir al-Balah | دير البلح | Deir al-Balah | Area A | 53,148 | 75,132 |
Gaza City | غزة | Gaza | Area A | 438,690 | 590,481 |
Jabalia | جباليا | North Gaza | Area A | 120,859 | 172,704 |
Khan Yunis | خان يونس | Khan Yunis | Area A | 140,046 | 205,125 |
Rafah | رفح | Rafah | Area A | 119,763 | 171,899 |
The Palestinian Authority, officially known as the Palestinian National Authority or the State of Palestine, is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a consequence of the 1993–1995 Oslo Accords. The Palestinian Authority controlled the Gaza Strip prior to the Palestinian elections of 2006 and the subsequent Gaza conflict between the Fatah and Hamas parties, when it lost control to Hamas; the PA continues to claim the Gaza Strip, although Hamas exercises de facto control. Since January 2013, the Palestinian Authority has used the name "State of Palestine" on official documents, although the United Nations continues to recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as the "representative of the Palestinian people".
Gaza, also called Gaza City, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. As of 2022, it is the largest city in the State of Palestine, with 590,481 inhabitants in 2017. The city is spread across an area of 45 square kilometres (17 sq mi). Gaza is one of the principal coastal cities in the country, home to Palestine's only port. Located some 76.6 kilometres (47.6 mi) southwest of the country's proclaimed capital East Jerusalem, the city is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, it was the most populous city in the State of Palestine, when massive displacement happened during the war.
The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967. These territories make up the State of Palestine, which was self-declared by the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1988 and is recognized by 145 out of 193 UN member states.
Khan Yunis, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a Palestinian city serving as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip. It has been largely destroyed on account of the ongoing Israel–Hamas war.
The State of Palestine is a country in the southern Levant region of West Asia recognized by 145 out of 193 UN member states. It encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, collectively known as the Occupied Palestinian territories, within the broader geographic and historical Palestine region. The country shares most of its borders with Israel, and it borders Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest. It has a total land area of 6,020 square kilometres (2,320 sq mi) while its population exceeds five million people. Its proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, while Ramallah serves as its administrative center. Gaza City was its largest city until 2023.
Rafah is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine. It is the capital of the Rafah Governorate of the State of Palestine, located 30 kilometers (19 mi) south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. As a result of massive bombardment and ground assaults in Gaza City and Khan Yunis by Israel during the Israel–Hamas war, about 1.4 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering in Rafah as of February 2024.
Qalqilya or Qalqiliya is a Palestinian city in the West Bank which serves as the administrative center of the Qalqilya Governorate. In the 2017 census, the city had a population of 51,683. Qalqilya is surrounded by the Israeli West Bank wall, with a narrow gap in the east controlled by the Israeli military and a tunnel to the Palestinian town of Hableh. Qalqilya is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority, while remaining under Israeli military occupation. Oranges are a major part of the city's economy.
Tubas is a Palestinian city in the northeastern West Bank, located northeast of Nablus, west of the Jordan Valley. A city of over 21,000 inhabitants, it serves as the economic and administrative center of the Tubas Governorate of the State of Palestine. Its urban area consists of 2,271 dunams. It is governed by a municipal council of 15 members and most of its working inhabitants are employed in agriculture or public services.
Deir al-Balah or Deir al Balah is a Palestinian city in the central Gaza Strip and the administrative capital of the Deir al-Balah Governorate of the State of Palestine. It is located over 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) south of Gaza City. The city had a population of 75,132 in 2017. The city is known for its date palms, after which it is named.
Demographic features of the population of the area commonly described as the Palestinian territories includes information on ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of that population.
Salfit is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, and the capital of the Salfit Governorate of the State of Palestine. Salfit is located at an altitude of 570 meters (1,870 ft), adjacent to the Israeli settlement of Ariel. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Salfit had a population of 10,911 in 2017. Since the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Salfit, located in Area A, has been administered by the Palestinian National Authority, while continuing under Israeli military occupation.
The North Gaza Governorate is one of the five Governorates of Palestine in the Gaza Strip which is administered by Palestine, aside from its border with Israel, airspace and maritime territory. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Governorate had a population of 270,245 with 40,262 households in mid-year 2007 encompassing three municipalities, two rural districts and one refugee camp.
The Gaza Governorate, also alternatively known as Gaza City Governorate, is one of the 16 Governorates of Palestine, located in the north central Gaza Strip. Gaza is claimed by the State of Palestine, but the land is under the control of Hamas, while its border with Israel, airspace and maritime territory are controlled by the IDF. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the district's population was 505,700 in 2006. All of its seats were won by Hamas members in the 2006 parliamentary elections. It is governed by Mohammed Qadoura.
Al-Shati, also known as Shati or Beach camp, is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the northern Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea coastline in the Gaza Governorate, and more specifically Gaza City.
Juhor ad-Dik is a Palestinian farming village in the Gaza Governorate, south of Gaza City, in the central Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the village had a population of 4,586 inhabitants in 2017. This area is controlled by Israel due to the Israel–Hamas war. In May, 2024, the Washington Post reported that the village had been destroyed in order to construct the Netzarim Corridor.
Al-Fukhari is a Palestinian town in the Khan Yunis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip, located between Khuza'a and Rafah. It sits on the eastern side of the Sufa Crossing road, just west of the border with Israel.
Khan Yunis refugee camp, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Khan Yunis Governorate just west of the city of Khan Yunis and two kilometers east of the Mediterranean coast in the southern Gaza Strip. While UNRWA states that there were approximately 72,000 Palestinian refugees living in the camp in 2010, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics recorded a population of 41,182 in the 2017 census.
Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip in Palestine since its takeover of the region from rival party Fatah in June 2007. Hamas' government was led by Ismail Haniyeh from 2007 until February 2017, when Haniyeh was replaced as leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip by Yahya Sinwar. As of November 2023, Yahya Sinwar continues to be the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In January 2024, due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, Israel said that Hamas lost control of most of the northern part of the Gaza Strip. In May 2024, Hamas regrouped in the north.
Palestine produces no oil or natural gas and is predominantly dependent on the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) for electricity. According to UNCTAD, the Palestinian Territory "lies above sizeable reservoirs of oil and natural gas wealth" but "occupation continues to prevent Palestinians from developing their energy fields so as to exploit and benefit from such assets." In 2012, electricity available in West Bank and Gaza was 5,370 GW-hour, while the annual per capita consumption of electricity was 950 kWh. National sources only produce 445 GWh of electricity, supplying less than 10% of demand. The only domestic source of energy is the disputed Gaza Marine gas field, which has not yet been developed. Palestinian energy demand increased rapidly, increasing by 6.4% annually between 1999 and 2005. Future consumption of electricity is expected to reach 8,400 GWh by 2020 on the expectation that consumption will increase by 6% annually.