Beit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun | |
---|---|
Arabic transcription(s) | |
• Arabic | بيت حانون |
• Latin | Beit Hanun (official) Bayt Hanun (unofficial) |
City | |
• Head of Municipality | Mohamad Nazek al-Kafarna |
Area | |
• Total | 12,500 dunams (12.5 km2 or 4.8 sq mi) |
Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 52,237 |
• Estimate (2023) | 0 |
• Density | 4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
Name meaning | "The house of Hanun"[2] |
Website | www.beithanoun.ps |
Beit Hanoun or Beit Hanun (
History
The
Ottoman era
Incorporated into the
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 French explorer 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] 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.[11] Hartmann found that Bet Hanun had 95 houses.[12]
In 1883, the
British Mandate era
In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Beit Hanoun had a population of 885 inhabitants, all Muslim,[14] decreasing in the 1931 census to 849, still all Muslims, in 194 houses.[15]
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.[16][17] Of this, 2,768 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 697 were plantations and irrigable land, 13,186 used for cereals,[18] while 59 dunams were built-up land.[19]
Egyptian occupation
In the
During the
Israeli occupation
According to the
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.
The 2006 Investigation in Beit Hanoun
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. However, Tutu and the other members were not granted permission to travel by Israel, and the investigation was cancelled.[25] 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, however, 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] Furthermore, the report highlighted the profound suffering of Palestinians and warcrimes and crimes against humanity. Drawing on religious references and personal statements, the report aimed to convey solidarity with the victims and underscored the importance of bearing witness to their plight. Despite receiving little media attention, one of the commissioners, Christine Chinkin, saw their involvement as part of an ongoing commitment to seeking justice and hoped that their recommendations would be taken seriously in addressing the conflict.[26]
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
Israel-Hamas war
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] 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 CNN reported that the IDF was again operating in Bait Hanoun and reporting that IDF 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]
Educational and health institutions
There were twelve secondary, primary and agricultural schools in Beit Hanoun and an agricultural college which is related to
Demographics
In 1922, Beit Hanoun had a population of 885.[14] In 1931, the population slightly decreased to 849.[43] The population then increased to 946 in 1938.[44] 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).[16][17] In 1961, the population rose to 3,876.[45]
Beit Hanoun's residents have various origins, including people from Egypt, Kurds from Hebron, the Hauran (southwest Syria), Transjordan, and Bedouin communities.[46]
In the first official census by the
As of mid-December 2023, as a result of the
See also
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ Palmer 1881, p. 358.
- ^ Sharon 1999, p. 98 ff.
- ^ "Beit Hanoon". Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ Hütteroth & Abdulfattah 1977, p. 147
- .
- ^ Karmon 1960, p. 173.
- ^ Robinson & Smith 1841, Vol 2, pp. 371-372.
- ^ Robinson & Smith 1841, Vol 3, Appendix 2, p. 118.
- ^ Guérin 1868, p. 175, as noted by Conder & Kitchener 1883, SWP III, p. 247
- ^ Socin 1879, p. 146.
- ^ Hartmann 1883, p. 129.
- ^ Conder & Kitchener 1883, SWP III, p. 233.
- ^ a b Barron 1923, Table V, Sub-district of Gaza, p. 8
- ^ Mills 1932, p. 2.
- ^ a b Department of Statistics 1945, p. 31
- ^ a b Department of Statistics 1945 Quoted in Hadawi 1970, p. 45
- ^ Department of Statistics 1945 Quoted in Hadawi 1970, p. 86
- ^ Department of Statistics 1945 Quoted in Hadawi 1970, p. 136
- ^ UN Doc S/1459[permanent dead link] of 20 February 1950 Report of the Mixed Armistice Commission
- ^ "Gaza Strip, July 2014: A constant state of emergency". B'Tselem. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ Palestinian Authority Archived 2007-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Uprooting Palestinian Trees And Leveling Agricultural Land". PCHR. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ European Commission report Archived 2009-03-27 at the Wayback Machine MED/2004/090-716 Damage Assessment: Beit Hanoun Area 17 December 2005
- '^ BBC Israel 'blocks Tutu Gaza mission. BBC News.
- ^ ISBN 9781503606722.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - ^ 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
- ^ Rory McCarthy (15 September 2008). "Israeli shelling of Beit Hanoun a possible war crime, Desmond Tutu tells UN". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Sewage flood causes Gaza deaths". 27 March 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Israel Hits UN-Run Shelter, Gaza Officials Say". Newsweek. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ UNRWA, The Guardian Feature Article, 20 August 2014
- ^ "Palestinian Sources Report IDF Armor Advancements on Beit Hanoun, Intense Strikes Continue | Atlas News". 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Inside Gaza with the Israeli army as it hunts for Hamas tunnels". Le Monde. 8 November 2023.
- ^ 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.
- Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "صحفيون في شمال قطاع غزة: جيش الاحتلال انسحب من بيت حانون". royanews.
- ^ "اللواء الدويري: إسرائيل مضطربة وجحر الديك صورة لما تواجهه قواتها بغزة". Aljazeera.
- ^ ""مش راح نرفع الراية البيضاء ولا نركع لأميركا وإسرائيل". شاب فلسطيني ينزع علم الاحتلال عن منزل دمره الاحتلال في بيت حانون شمال القطاع =". Nabz.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Our City - Beithanoun Municipality". Archived from the original on 2012-02-16.
- ^ Palestine Census 1931.
- ^ Village Statistics (PDF). 1938. p. 62.
- ^ "Welcome To Bayt Hanun". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ 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
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
Bibliography
- Barron, J. B., ed. (1923). Palestine: Report and General Abstracts of the Census of 1922. Government of Palestine.
- Conder, C.R.; Kitchener, H.H. (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. Vol. 3. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
- Department of Statistics (1945). Village Statistics, April, 1945. Government of Palestine.
- Guérin, V. (1868). Description Géographique Historique et Archéologique de la Palestine (in French). Vol. 1: Judee, pt. 1. Paris: L'Imprimerie Nationale.
- Hadawi, S. (1970). Village Statistics of 1945: A Classification of Land and Area Ownership in Palestine. Palestine Liberation Organization Research Centre.
- Hartmann, M. (1883). "Die Ortschaftenliste des Liwa Jerusalem in dem türkischen Staatskalender für Syrien auf das Jahr 1288 der Flucht (1871)". Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins. 6: 102–149.
- Hütteroth, Wolf-Dieter; Abdulfattah, Kamal (1977). Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft. ISBN 3-920405-41-2.
- Karmon, Y. (1960). "An Analysis of Jacotin's Map of Palestine" (PDF). Israel Exploration Journal. 10 (3, 4): 155–173, 244–253. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-22. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- Mills, E., ed. (1932). Census of Palestine 1931. Population of Villages, Towns and Administrative Areas. Jerusalem: Government of Palestine.
- Palmer, E.H. (1881). The Survey of Western Palestine: Arabic and English Name Lists Collected During the Survey by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener, R. E. Transliterated and Explained by E.H. Palmer. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 2. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.
- ISBN 9004110836.
- Socin, A. (1879). "Alphabetisches Verzeichniss von Ortschaften des Paschalik Jerusalem". Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins. 2: 135–163.
External links
- Welcome To The City of Bayt Hanun
- Survey of Western Palestine, Map 19: IAA, Wikimedia commons