Beit Hanoun
Encyclopedia
Beit Hanoun is a city on the north-east edge of the Gaza Strip
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-year 2006. It is administered by the Palestinian Authority
. It is located by the Hanoun stream, just 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) away from the Israel
i town of Sderot
.
ns in the 8th century BCE. The Ayyubids defeated the Crusader
s at a battle in Umm al-Nasser hill, just west of Beit Hanoun, and built the Umm al-Naser Mosque
("Mother of Victories Mosque") there in commemoration of the victory. A Mamluk
post office was located in Beit Hanoun as well.
In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the vicinity of Beit Hanoun, and later Beit Hanoun itself, served as a tactical wedge (Beit Hanoun wedge
), stuck by the Israel Defense Forces
to disrupt the movement of the Egyptian army
from Majdal
to its forces to the south in the area that later became the Gaza Strip.
ian authorities 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. This action caused the death of seven and the wounding of twenty civilians.
The infrastructure of Beit Hanoun was heavily damaged during an incursion by Israeli forces in 2005.
This town is also notable for the 2006 shelling of Beit Hanoun
where 19 Palestinians were killed by IDF
shelling. According to Israeli authorities it was in response for its use as a base from which Palestinian militant groups have fired Qassam rocket
s into the northern Negev
towns like Sderot
, as well as the former Gush Katif
settlements.
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. Tutu's final report to the United Nations
human rights council 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."
According to the Palestinian Authority, prior to the November 2006 incident, at least 140 Palestinians were killed by Israeli Forces in Beit Hanoun from September 2000 to November 2006.
On March 27. 2007, sewage water flooded the northern Umm al-Nasser suburb of Beit Hanoun, killing five people.
In the first official census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
(PCBS), Beit Hanoun had a total population of 20,780. Over 90% of the residents were Palestinian refugee
s. There were 10,479 males and 10,301 females. The age distribution was as follows: People 14 years of age or younger constituted the majority at 65.6%, people between the ages of 20 and 44 was 26.8%, 45 to 64 was 5.7% and residents above the age of 65 was 1.9%.
. There is a medical center and hospital in the city and several clinics mostly managed by the United Nations
.
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-year 2006. It is administered by the Palestinian Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
. It is located by the Hanoun stream, just 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) away from the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i town of Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
.
History
According to local legend, Beit Hanoun was the capital of the Philistine King Hanoun who fought the AssyriaAssyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns in the 8th century BCE. The Ayyubids defeated the Crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
s at a battle in Umm al-Nasser hill, just west of Beit Hanoun, and built the Umm al-Naser Mosque
Umm al-Naser Mosque
Umm al-Naser Mosque or Beit Hanoun Mosque is the oldest mosque in the Palestinian city of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip, located in the center of the city.-History:...
("Mother of Victories Mosque") there in commemoration of the victory. A Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
post office was located in Beit Hanoun as well.
In the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the vicinity of Beit Hanoun, and later Beit Hanoun itself, served as a tactical wedge (Beit Hanoun wedge
Beit Hanoun wedge
The Beit Hanoun wedge was a sliver of land around Beit Hanoun that the Israel Defense Forces captured during Operation Yoav in the final stage of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. With this and other wedges, the Israelis hoped to divide various units in the Egyptian army's expeditionary force in...
), stuck by the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
to disrupt the movement of the Egyptian army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
from Majdal
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
to its forces to the south in the area that later became the Gaza Strip.
Post-1948 War
While under control of EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian authorities 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
Abasan al-Kabera
Abasan al-Kabera in is a Palestinian town located in the Khan Yunis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip. The town is connected with Khan Yunis city by a local street that crosses other villages like Bani Suheila and Khuza'a...
and Beit Hanoun in Egyptian controlled territory of the Gaza strip. This action caused the death of seven and the wounding of twenty civilians.
The infrastructure of Beit Hanoun was heavily damaged during an incursion by Israeli forces in 2005.
This town is also notable for the 2006 shelling of Beit Hanoun
2006 shelling of Beit Hanoun
The 2006 shelling of Beit Hanoun was an incident on November 8, 2006 in which Israel Defense Forces shells hit a row of houses in the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, killing 19 Palestinians and wounding more than 40...
where 19 Palestinians were killed by IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
shelling. According to Israeli authorities it was in response for its use as a base from which Palestinian militant groups have fired Qassam rocket
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
s into the northern Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
towns like Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
, as well as the former Gush Katif
Gush Katif
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...
settlements.
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. Tutu's final report to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
human rights council 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."
According to the Palestinian Authority, prior to the November 2006 incident, at least 140 Palestinians were killed by Israeli Forces in Beit Hanoun from September 2000 to November 2006.
On March 27. 2007, sewage water flooded the northern Umm al-Nasser suburb of Beit Hanoun, killing five people.
Demographics
Beit Hanoun had a population of 885 in a 1922 British Mandate census. The population more than doubled by 1945. In that year, a land and population survey recorded 1,730 inhabitants including 50 Jews. In 1961, the population rose to 3,876.In the first official census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
(PCBS), Beit Hanoun had a total population of 20,780. Over 90% of the residents were Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
s. There were 10,479 males and 10,301 females. The age distribution was as follows: People 14 years of age or younger constituted the majority at 65.6%, people between the ages of 20 and 44 was 26.8%, 45 to 64 was 5.7% and residents above the age of 65 was 1.9%.
Local infrastructure
There are twelve secondary, primary and agricultural schools in Beit Hanoun and an agricultural college which is related to al-Azhar University - GazaAl-Azhar University - Gaza
Al-Azhar University – Gaza is a Palestinian university established in 1992 in Gaza City, Palestinian territories.-History:The department of desalination was established on 1995 by Riyad Hassan El-Khoudary. The water research center is an independent non-government Palestinian institution...
. There is a medical center and hospital in the city and several clinics mostly managed by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
See also
- Operation Days of PenitenceOperation Days of PenitenceOperation Days of Penitence was the name used by Israel to describe an Israel Defense Forces operation in the northern Gaza Strip, conducted between September 30, 2004 and October 16, 2004...
- 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict2006 Israel-Gaza conflictThe 2006 Israel–Gaza conflict refers to the series of battles between Palestinian militants and the Israel Defense Forces . Large-scale conventional warfare beyond the peripheries of the Gaza Strip began when Israel launched Operation Summer Rains , the codename for an IDF military operation in the...
- Operation Autumn Clouds