View source for Deir al-Balah

{{about|a city|the nearby refugee camp|Deir al-Balah Camp}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Deir al-Balah
| translit_lang1     = Arabic
| translit_lang1_type = [[Arabic script|Arabic]]
| translit_lang1_info = {{lang|ar|دير البلح}}
| translit_lang1_type1 = [[Latin script|Latin]]
| translit_lang1_info1 = Deir el-Balah (unofficial{{citation needed|date=July 2019}})<br />Dayr al-Balah (official)
| type               = [[List of cities in Palestinian Authority areas|Municipality type A (City)]]
| image_skyline      = Deir al-Balah.jpg
| image_caption      = Skyline of Deir al-Balah, 2008
| image_blank_emblem = Seal of Deir al-Balah.tif
| blank_emblem_type  =
| pushpin_map        = Palestine
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Deir al-Balah within [[State of Palestine|Palestine]]
| image_map          =
| map_caption        =
| coordinates        = {{coord|31|25|08|N|34|21|06|E|region:PS|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name          = [[Palestine grid|Palestine&nbsp;grid]]
| grid_position      = 088/092
| subdivision_type   = State
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|State of Palestine}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Governorates of the State of Palestine|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Deir al-Balah Governorate|Deir al-Balah]]
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 14th century BC
| government_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| government_type    = [[List of cities in Palestinian Authority areas|City]] (from 1994)
| leader_title       = Head of Municipality
| leader_name        = [[Imad al-Jarou]]<ref>{{cite web |title=عماد الجرو يتسلم رئاسة بلدية دير البلح خلفا لـ"سعيد نصار" |url=https://amad.com.ps/ar/post/353689/%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%88-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AD-%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7-%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B1 |trans-title=Imad Al-Jarou takes over the presidency of Deir Al-Balah Municipality, succeeding "Saeed Nassar" |website=amad.com.ps |publisher=Amad |access-date=4 April 2024 |language=ar |date=12 June 2020}}</ref>
| unit_pref          = dunam
| area_footnotes     =
| area_total_km2     = 14.7
| area_total_dunam   = 14735
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m        =
| elevation_min_m    =
| elevation_max_m    =
| population_footnotes = <ref name="PrelimCensus2017">{{cite report |date=February 2018 |title=Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 |url=https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Downloads/book2364-1.pdf |department=[[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS) |publisher=[[State of Palestine]] |pages=64–82 |access-date=2023-10-24}}</ref>
| population_total   = 75132
| population_as_of   = 2017
| population_note    =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| blank_name_sec1    = Name meaning
| blank_info_sec1    = "Monastery of the Date Palm"
| website            =
| footnotes          =
}}
'''Deir al-Balah''' or '''Deir al Balah''' ({{langx|ar|دير البلح||Monastery of the Date Palm}}) is a [[Palestinian people|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 {{convert|14|km|mi|sp=us}} south of [[Gaza City]].<ref name="Sharon11"/> The city had a population of 75,132 in 2017.<ref name="PrelimCensus2017" /> The city is known for its [[date palm]]s, after which it is named.
Deir al-Balah dates back to the [[Late Bronze Age]] when it served as a fortified outpost for the [[New Kingdom of Egypt]]. A [[monastery]] was built there by the Christian monk [[Hilarion]] in the mid-4th century AD and is currently believed to be the site of a mosque dedicated to [[Saint George]], known locally as [[al-Khidr]]. During the [[Crusades|Crusader]]-[[Ayyubid dynasty|Ayyubid]] wars, Deir al-Balah was the site of a strategic coastal fortress known as "Darum" which was continuously contested, dismantled and rebuilt by both sides until its final demolition in 1196. Afterward, the site grew to become a large village on the postal route of the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk Sultanate]] (13th-15th centuries). It served as an [[episcopal see]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem]] in [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] times until the late 19th century.
Under [[Egypt]]ian control Deir al-Balah, whose population tripled through the influx of [[Palestinian refugee|refugees]] from the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], was a prosperous agricultural town until its capture by [[Israel]] in the [[Six-Day War]]. After 27 years of Israeli occupation, Deir al-Balah became the first city to come under Palestinian self-rule in 1994. Since the outbreak of the [[Second Intifada]] in 2000, it has witnessed frequent incursions by the [[Israel Defense Forces|Israeli Army]] with the stated aim of stopping [[Qassam rocket]] fire into Israel.<ref name="BBC1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1514069.stm|title=US Calls on Israel to Withdraw|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2001-08-28|access-date=2007-05-08}}.</ref><ref name="BBC2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1819458.stm|title=Fresh incursion in Gaza|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2002-02-14|access-date=2007-05-08}}.</ref><ref name="iht.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/26/news/hamas.php|title=A New Role for Hamas: Running Gaza's Cities|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2005-05-27|access-date=2007-05-09}}</ref> [[Ahmad Kurd]], a [[Hamas]] member, was elected mayor in late January 2005.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44058-2005Jan28.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|title=Hamas Dominates Local Vote in Gaza|date=2005-01-29|access-date=2010-05-01}}</ref><ref name="Wilson">{{cite news|title=Israeli Pullout Creates Political Opportunity: Shift of Gaza Land and Assets to Palestinians Sharpens Hamas-Fatah Rivalry|author=Scott Wilson|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=2005-09-05|access-date=2007-05-21|page=A25|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/04/AR2005090401229_pf.html}}</ref>
By late 2024, a tented camp had been established at Deir al-Balah. "Smile of Hope Camp" is managed by the Palestinian Red Crescent and provides care and facilities for people with disabilities.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Hatem Khaled |author2=Mohammed Salem |title=Middle East New Gaza camp offers relief for Palestinians with disabilities amid war |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/new-gaza-camp-offers-relief-palestinians-with-disabilities-amid-war-2024-08-09/ |via=www.reuters.com |access-date=26 November 2024 |date=August 10, 2024}}</ref>
==Etymology==
===Deir al-Balah etc.===
"Deir al-Balah", which in [[Arabic]] translates as the "Monastery of the Date Palm", was named after the grove of date palms that lay west of the city. Its name dates back to the late 19th century, before which the city was locally known as "Deir Mar Jiryis" or "Deir al-Khidr" and "Deir Darum" in Ottoman records.<ref name="Petersen134"/> "Mar Jiryis" translates as "[[Saint George]]" while in Islamic tradition [[al-Khidr]] could either refer to Saint George or [[Elijah]]. The inhabitants of Deir al-Balah associated al-Khidr with Saint George. The town had been named after al-Khidr, the most venerated saintly person throughout [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].<ref name="Sharon14">Sharon, 2004, p. [https://archive.org/stream/9004131973#page/n68/mode/1up    14]</ref> The mosque in Deir al-Balah which bears his name is traditionally believed by locals to contain his tomb.<ref>Sharon, 2004, p. [https://archive.org/stream/9004131973#page/n69/mode/1up 15]</ref>
===Darom etc.===
Up until the later Ottoman era, Deir al-Balah was referred to in Arabic as "Darum" or "Darun" which derived from the settlement's Crusader-era Latin name "Darom" or "Doron." That name was explained by the Crusader chronicler [[William of Tyre]] as a corruption of ''domus Graecorum'', "house of the Greeks" (''dar ar-rum''). More recently, the eighteenth century scholar [[Albert Schultens]]<ref>cited in Guérin, 1869, p. [https://archive.org/stream/descriptiongog02gu#page/224/mode/1up 224]. Retrieved 2013 12/28.</ref> supposed its roots are the [[Biblical Hebrew|Ancient Hebrew]] name "[[Wikt:דרום|Darom]]" or "Droma", from the Hebrew root for "south", which referred to the area south of [[Lod|Lydda]], i.e. the southern parts of the [[Israeli coastal plain|coastal plain]] and [[Shfela|Judean foothills]] together with the northern [[Negev Desert]]. During early Arab rule, "ad-Darum" or "ad-Dairan" was the name of the southern subdistrict of [[Bayt Jibrin]],<ref>Sharon, 2004, pp. [https://archive.org/stream/9004131973#page/n65/mode/1up 11]–12</ref><ref>[[Ishtori Haparchi]], ''Sefer Kaftor Vaferach'' (ed. Avraham Yosef Havatzelet ), vol. 2, chapter 11, Jerusalem 2007, p. 79 (note 292) [Hebrew]</ref> a corruption of the [[Aramaic]] name of the region, [[Daroma]].
==Geography==
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Deir al-Balah is situated in the central Gaza Strip, along the coastline of the eastern [[Mediterranean Sea]].<ref name="Agha">{{cite web|last=Agha|first=Salah R.|url=http://www.iugaza.edu.ps/ar/periodical/articles/%D8%AF.%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%BA%D8%A7.pdf|title=Optimizing Routing of Municipal Solid Waste Collection Vehicles in Deir al-Balah|work=[[Islamic University of Gaza|Islamic University of Gaza Journal]]|volume=14|year=2006|access-date=2012-05-26}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Its city center is about {{convert|1,700|m|ft|sp=us}} east of the coast while the ancient site of Darum was uncovered {{convert|3|km|mi|sp=us}} to the south of central Deir al-Balah.<ref name="Sharon11"/> While the city's municipal borders stretch eastward toward the border with Israel, its urban area does not extend beyond the main [[Salah al-Din Road|Salah al-Din Highway]] to the east.<ref name="Gisha">{{cite web|url=http://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/English%20GazaMapGisha70x100.pdf|title=Gaza Strip Mapping Movement and Access|publisher=Gisha-Legal Center for Freedom of Movement|date=July 2011|access-date=2012-07-04}}</ref>
Nearby localities include [[Nuseirat (camp)|Nuseirat Camp]] and [[Bureij|Bureij Camp]] to the north, [[Maghazi (camp)|Maghazi Camp]] to the northeast and [[Wadi as-Salqa]] to the south. [[Khan Yunis]] is {{convert|9.7|km|mi|sp=us}} to Deir al-Balah's south and [[Gaza City]] is located {{convert|14.6|km|mi|sp=us}} to the north.
The city has absorbed the coastal [[Deir al-Balah camp|Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp]], although it remains outside of Deir al-Balah's municipal administration. While the total land area was recorded as 14,735 [[dunam]]s (14.7&nbsp;km² or 1,473.5 hectares) in 1997,<ref name="JMCC">{{cite web|url=http://www.jmcc.org/localiteis.aspx?idd=48&type=locality|title=Deir al-Balah Profile|publisher=[[Jerusalem Media and Communications Center]] (JMCC)|date=2007-02-09|access-date=2012-05-26}}</ref> the total built-up areas of the city consist of between 7,000 and 8,000 dunams (7–8&nbsp;km² or 700-800 hectares.) Deir al-Balah is divided into 29 administrative areas.<ref name="Agha"/>
==History==
===Bronze Age Canaanite, and Iron Age Philistine city===
[[File:Anthropoid Coffin from Deir al-Balah – Late Bronze Age - Hecht Museum - Haifa – Israel 1.JPG|thumb|right|A [[Bronze Age|Late Bronze Age]] [[sarcophagus]] found in Deir al-Balah, on display at the [[Hecht Museum]] in [[Haifa]]]]
Deir al-Balah's history dates back to the mid-14th century BC, during the [[Bronze Age#Near East timeline|Late Bronze Age]].<ref name="Sharon11"/> At that time it served as an outpost in the [[New Kingdom of Egypt]] on its frontier with [[Canaan]].<ref name="Bunson96">Bunson, 2002, p. 96.</ref> During the reign of King [[Ramesses II]] (1303–1213 BC), Deir al-Balah became the easternmost of six garrisoned fortresses in the [[Eastern Mediterranean]].<ref name="Morkot91">Morkot, 2003, p.91.</ref> The string of fortresses began with the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] fort in the west, and continued through the "Way of Horus" military road to Canaan.<ref name="Bunson97">Bunson, 2002, p. 97.</ref> The square-shaped fortress of Deir al-Balah had four towers at each corner and a [[reservoir]].<ref name="Morkot91"/> Archaeological findings in Deir al-Balah revealed a large [[ancient Egyptian]] cemetery with graves containing jewelry and other personal belongings. The inhabitants of the fortress employed traditional Egyptian techniques and artistic designs in their architectural works.<ref name="Bunson97"/> The cosmopolitan aspect of the frontier site is proven by the rich [[Cyprus#Prehistoric and Ancient Cyprus|Cypriot]], [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] and [[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] findings.
Deir al-Balah remained in Egyptian hands until around 1150 BC when the [[Philistines]] conquered the southern coastal area of Canaan.<ref name="Bunson96"/> The Philistine settlement is thought to have been situated southwest of the excavation site; its remains are hidden under large sand dunes. Five pits dug into the Late Bronze Age layers and containing Philistine pottery are among the few findings from that period.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Negen, Avraham |author2=Gibson, Shimon | page = 139 | title = Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land | publisher=Continuum | year = 2001 }}</ref>
The archaeological excavations at the Egyptian-period site were executed between 1972 and 1982, during Israel's occupation, and headed by [[Trude Dothan]]. After the conclusion of the excavations the area was used for farming purposes and is now covered by vegetable gardens and fruit orchards while the main findings can be seen in Israeli museums like the [[Israel Museum]] in [[Jerusalem]] and the [[Hecht Museum]] in [[Haifa]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Deir el-Balah: Uncovering an Egyptian Outpost in Canaan from the Time of the Exodus. By Trude Dothan. Reviewed by Carol A. Redmount, 15.1.2012|date=15 January 2012|url=http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/reviews/deir-el-balah|publisher=Biblical Archaeology Society|access-date=2014-10-13}}</ref>
Similar cultural development is also attested at [[Tall al-Ajjul]] at that time, also in the Gaza strip.
===Byzantine period===
During [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] rule, the first hermitage in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] was established by the early [[Christians|Christian]] monk [[Hilarion]] at the site of modern-day Deir al-Balah. Hilarion initially built a small hut there, but during the reign of [[Constantius II]] (337–361) he set up the hermitage. Towards the end of his life, the monastery grew and began to attract numerous visitors. Hilarion resided at the monastery for a total of 22 years until his departure for [[Cyprus]] where he died in 371 AD. The hermitage was divided into several small cells constructed of mud brick and palm tree branches.<ref name="Ashkelony68">Bitton-Ashkelony and Kofsky, 2004, p. 68.</ref> According to local tradition and observations from Western travelers in the 19th century, the prayer hall of the [[Tell Umm el-'Amr|Monastery of Hilarion]] is currently occupied by the Mosque of al-Khidr. French explorer [[Victor Guérin]] noted that two [[marble]] columns in the mosque were possibly parts of the Byzantine-era monastery.<ref name="Ashkelony69">Bitton-Askhelony and Kofsky, 2004, p. 69.</ref>
===Early Islamic period===
In 632, during the early period of [[Islam]]ic rule in [[Arabia]], the [[Muslim]] commander [[Usama ibn Zayd]] launched a raid against Byzantine-held Darum, which referred not to Deir al-Balah specifically, but to the area south of [[Lod|Lydda]] which included modern-day Deir al-Balah.<ref name="Schick280">Schick, 1995, p. 280</ref> The site was one of the first places in Palestine to be annexed by the [[Rashidun Caliphate]] following the conquest of [[Gaza City|Gaza]] by [[Amr ibn al-'As]] in 634.<ref name="Sharon12">Sharon, 2004, p. [https://archive.org/stream/9004131973#page/n66/mode/1up 12]</ref> Throughout early Muslim Arab rule and until the arrival of the [[Crusades|Crusaders]] in the late 11th century, "Darum" normally referred to the southern district of [[Jund Filastin]] whose capital fluctuated between the towns of [[Bayt Jibrin]] or [[Hebron]].<ref name="Schick280"/>
The [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]] caliph [[al-Aziz Billah]] (r. 975-996) granted his favored [[vizier]], [[Yaqub ibn Killis]], a fief in modern-day Deir al-Balah, as testified by an inscription dating to the 980s located in the city's al-Khidr Mosque. The fief included a large estate with date palms.<ref>Sharon, 2004, p. [https://archive.org/stream/9004131973#page/n70/mode/1up 16]. According to Israeli historian [[Moshe Sharon]], the inscription was possibly found in the vicinity of Deir al-Balah and was later relocated to the mosque at a later period.</ref>
===Crusader and Ayyubid rule===
Deir al-Balah was built on the ruins of the [[Crusades|Crusader]] fort of Darom (also referred to as "Doron") which was built by King [[Amalric I of Jerusalem|Amalric I]].<ref name="Sharon11">Sharon, 2004, p. [https://archive.org/stream/9004131973#page/n65/mode/1up 11]</ref> The exact date of the fort's construction is unknown, although it was likely erected after 1153 following Amalric's capture of [[Ashkelon|Ascalon]] to the north from the [[Fatimid Caliphate]].<ref name="Sharon12"/> As described by William of Tyre, the fort was small, ''tantum spatium intra se continens quantum est jactus lapidis'' (containing inside as much space as a stone's throw) and square-shaped with four towers, one of which was larger than the others.<ref>Ellenblum, 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=riHMZiH_Te4C&pg=PA137 137]; William of Tyre, XX, xix.</ref> Amalric used Darom as a launching point for several unsuccessful military campaigns against Fatimid Egypt.<ref name="Sharon13">Sharon, 2004, p. [https://archive.org/stream/9004131973#page/n67/mode/1up  13]</ref> In addition to its role as a frontier fort on the border of Egypt, Darom also served as an administrative center charged with collecting taxes from the southern areas of the kingdom and customs from caravans and travelers coming from Egypt. It was deemed a permanent threat by the rulers of Egypt.<ref name="Sharon13"/>
Not long after its construction, a small suburb or village with a church was established by local farmers and traders just outside the fort. According to medieval chronicler [[William of Tyre]], "it was a pleasant spot where conditions of life for people of the lower ranks were better than in cities".<ref>Ellenblum, 2003, pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=riHMZiH_Te4C&pg=PA137 137] –138.</ref> The population of the village consisted of indigenous [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Christians]] allied to and protected by the Crusader administration and garrison based in the fort. The inhabitants were considered lower-class, but integral members of society by the Crusaders of European or mixed descent. Because Darom was absent of [[Greek people|Greek]] bishops, in 1168 [[Pope Alexander III]] gave the [[Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem]] direct jurisdiction over the [[dioceses]], putting the largely [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]] inhabitants under the authority of the [[Catholic Church]].<ref>Ellenblum, 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=riHMZiH_Te4C&pg=PA139  139]</ref>
Following Amalric's withdrawal from his fifth offensive against Egypt in 1170, Muslim general [[Saladin]], fighting on behalf of the Fatimids, attacked and besieged the fortress as part of his foray into the Crusader [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]]. Despite initial gains, Darom was not captured or destroyed.<ref name="Sharon13"/> It later became a stronghold of the [[Knights Templar]] and the [[Knights Hospitaller]] from [[Jerusalem]], led by King [[Baldwin III of Jerusalem|Baldwin III]].<ref name="Shahin">Shahin, 2005, pp. 421–423.</ref> After the Muslim army defeated the Crusaders in the decisive [[Battle of Hattin]] in 1187, their leader Saladin, by then the independent sultan of the [[Ayyubid dynasty]], advanced south and captured both Ascalon and Darom by 1188. His first order was the fort's demolition, but he later decided against destroying it.<ref name="Sharon13"/> Instead, the fortress was substantially expanded and strengthened. "Darum", which is what the Muslims called the fortress village, was encased by a wall with 17 strong towers protected by a deep [[moat]] with stone-paved sides.<ref name="Ellenblum140">Ellenblum, 2003, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=riHMZiH_Te4C&pg=PA140 140].</ref> It hosted a garrison commanded by the [[emir]] (commander) Alam ad-Din Qaysar and served as a store for supplies and ammunition.<ref name="Sharon13"/>
The Crusaders recaptured the fortress on 24 May 1191 after a short siege commanded by King [[Richard the Lionheart]].<ref name="Sharon13"/> Authority over Darum was assigned to Count [[Henry I, Count of Champagne|Henry I of Champagne]], but Richard later had the fortress demolished in July 1193 prior to withdrawing his forces from Ascalon.<ref>Pringle, 1993, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BgQ6AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA195 195].</ref> The Ayyubids rebuilt the fortress soon after in order to use it as a bridgehead to reconquer territories lost in Palestine during the [[Third Crusade]]. Nonetheless, in 1196, Sultan [[al-Aziz Uthman]] decided to have it demolished in case of its capture by the Crusaders. According to 15th-century historian [[al-Maqrizi]], this decision resulted in public resentment since travelers and merchants had significantly benefited from the fort's protection.<ref name="Sharon13"/> In 1226, [[Syria (region)|Syria]]n geographer [[Yaqut al-Hamawi]] visited Darum and noted it was one of the cities of [[Islamic view of Lot|Lot]] and contained a ruined castle.<ref>Le Strange, 1890, p. [https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/437/mode/1up 437]</ref>
===Mamluk period===
Following its demolition, it is not known how long Darum remained deserted, but it was eventually resettled during [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk]] rule which began in 1250.<ref name="Sharon14"/> For much of the Mamluk period, the town came under the administration of the politically important Niyabah of Gaza (Province of Gaza), part of the larger Mamlaka of [[Damascus]] (Kingdom of Damascus.)<ref name="Ziadeh24">Ziadeh, 1953, p. 24.</ref> Along with [[Karatiyya]] and [[Bayt Jibrin]],<ref>Ziadeh, 1953, p. 13.</ref> Darum was an ''amal'' (district) of the Province of Gaza with its own ''[[wali]]'' (governor).<ref name="Ziadeh24"/>
It became a halting post along the newly introduced [[Postage stamps and postal history of Palestine#Mamluk rule (1270–1516)|regular mail routes]] connecting Damascus and Cairo, which were run by horse-mounted messengers with colored sashes.<ref name="Shahin"/> Syrian historian Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari did not mention Darum in his list of the route's stopping points in 1349, instead noting that [[Wadi as-Salqa|al-Salqah]] was the only post between [[Rafah]] and Gaza, suggesting that Darum was not a major settlement at the time. However, 14th-century Egyptian historian [[Ahmad al-Qalqashandi]] counters al-Umari's account, writing that Darum was the last halting post before Gaza.<ref name="Sharon14"/> Roads, bridges, postal stations and a ''khan'' ([[caravanserai]]) were built in the town to accommodate the messengers. [[Pigeon mail]] service was introduced for which towers were built. Produce available in Darum during this time period included barley, wheat, grapes and grape leaves, olives, raspberries, lemons, figs, sweet melons, pomegranates and dates.<ref name="Shahin"/> Surrounding the town were the encampments of the [[Jarm|Batn Jarm]], an [[Arab]] clan that also lived around Gaza.<ref>Ziadeh, 1953, p. 45.</ref>
===Ottoman period===
Sometime prior to the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] conquest of Palestine in 1516 or in the beginning years of Ottoman rule, Darum gained the additional name of "Deir" as in "Deir Darum" after its Byzantine-era monastery.<ref>Orni and Efrat, 1973, p. 397.</ref> The village continued to thrive during the early Ottoman era in Palestine which is attributed to the urban infrastructure originally established by the Crusaders.<ref>Petersen, 2005, p. [https://archive.org/stream/TheTownsOfPalestineUnderUnderMuslimRule/AndrewPetersenTheTownsOfPalestineUnderMuslimRule-600-1600#page/n51/mode/1up  44].</ref> Its continued importance also stemmed from its close proximity to Gaza and its position on the former [[Via Maris]] trade route.<ref name="Petersen50">Petersen, 2005, p. [https://archive.org/stream/TheTownsOfPalestineUnderUnderMuslimRule/AndrewPetersenTheTownsOfPalestineUnderMuslimRule-600-1600#page/n49/mode/1up 42]</ref> The first Ottoman tax census in 1525 revealed Deir al-Balah was a relatively large village with a religiously mixed population of 87 Christian families and 56 Muslim families.<ref name="Ellenblum140"/> In 1596 it was part of [[Gaza Sanjak]] (District of Gaza) and had a Muslim majority with 175 Muslim families and 125 Christian families.<ref name=HA144>Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 144.</ref><ref>Petersen, 2005, p. [https://archive.org/stream/TheTownsOfPalestineUnderUnderMuslimRule/AndrewPetersenTheTownsOfPalestineUnderMuslimRule-600-1600#page/n139/mode/1up 131].</ref> With an estimated population of 1,500,<ref name="Petersen134"/> it was one of eight villages at the time to have between 1,000 and 2,000 inhabitants.<ref name="Petersen50"/> Annual tax revenue from the town amounted to 17,300 [[akce]]s.<ref name="Petersen134">Petersen, 2005, p. [https://archive.org/stream/TheTownsOfPalestineUnderUnderMuslimRule/AndrewPetersenTheTownsOfPalestineUnderMuslimRule-600-1600#page/n142/mode/1up 134]</ref>   [[Pierre Jacotin]] named  the village ''Deir K Helleh'' on his map from 1799.<ref>Karmon, 1960, p. [http://www.jchp.ucla.edu/Bibliography/Karmon,_Y_1960_Jacotin_Map_(IEJ_10).pdf 173] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222063351/http://jchp.ucla.edu/Bibliography/Karmon,_Y_1960_Jacotin_Map_(IEJ_10).pdf |date=2019-12-22 }}</ref> In 1838, ''Deir el-Belah'' was noted as a Muslim village in the Gaza district.<ref name=Robinsonp118>Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, Appendix 2, p. [https://archive.org/stream/biblicalresearch03robiuoft#page/118/mode/1up 118]</ref>
A substantial part of Deir al-Balah's inhabitants died in 1862 because of stagnant drinking water originating from the town's swamps. The swamps were seasonal, forming each winter as a result of flooding which failed to breach the sandstone ridge.<ref name="Ashkelony68"/> A year later, on 29 May 1863, French explorer [[Victor Guérin]] wrote that Deir al-Balah was a small, partly ruined village with a population of 350. Date farming was the principal economic activity that the inhabitants engaged in.<ref name=Guerin223>Guerin 1869, [https://archive.org/stream/descriptiongogr03gugoog#page/n234/mode/1up 223].</ref> In 1878, the [[Palestine Exploration Fund|PEF]]'s ''[[PEF Survey of Palestine|Survey of Western Palestine]]'' noted Deir al-Balah had grown to become a large village of mud houses "with wells and a small tower". At the time, it served as a [[Episcopal see|see]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem]].<ref name="Sharon14"/><ref>Conder and Kitchener 1883, SWP III, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/234/mode/1up 234]</ref><ref>Conder and Kitchener 1883, SWP III, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/247/mode/1up 247]</ref><ref>Conder and Kitchener 1883, SWP III, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/248/mode/1up 248]</ref>
===WWI and British period===
[[File:HACBelah.jpg|thumb|A battery of the [[Honourable Artillery Company]] outside Deir al-Balah, March 1918]]
Deir al-Balah was captured by the [[British Army]] following the surrender of [[Khan Yunis]] on 28 February 1917. By April an [[aerodrome]] and an army camp were established there and Deir al-Balah became a launching point for British forces against Ottoman-held Gaza and [[Beersheba]] to the north and northeast, respectively.<ref name="CWGC">{{cite web|title=Deir El Balah War Cemetery|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/71200/DEIR%20EL%20BELAH%20WAR%20CEMETERY|publisher=Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)|access-date=2012-06-10}}</ref> Of the 25 British war cemeteries dating from [[World War I]], one of the six largest was built in Deir al-Balah in March 1917.<ref>El-Eini, 2006, p. 62.</ref> It continued to be used until March 1918 and contains a total of 724 graves.<ref name="CWGC"/>
[[File:War cemetery at Deir el-Belah 1918.jpg|thumb|Deir al-Balah Commonwealth War Cemetery, 1918]]
Deir al-Balah became a part of the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate of Palestine]] starting in 1922. A municipal council to administer the town was established by the British authorities in 1946, but it had limited jurisdiction over civil affairs and provided a few basic services.<ref>Shahwan, 2003, p. 41.</ref>
[[File:Deir el Balah 1930.jpg|thumb|Deir el Balah 1930 1:20,000]]
In  the [[Village Statistics, 1945|1945 statistics]], Deir al-Balah had a population of 2,560; 40 Christians and 2,520 Muslims,<ref name=1945p31/> with 14,735 [[dunam]]s of land, according to an official land and population survey.<ref name=Hadawi45>Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April, 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20I/Gaza/Page-045.jpg  45]</ref> Of this, 327 dunams were for citrus and bananas, 472 plantations and irrigable land, 14,438 used for cereals,<ref>Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April, 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20II/Gaza/Page-086.jpg  86]</ref> while 39 dunams were built-up land.<ref>Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April, 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20III/Gaza/Page-136.jpg  136]</ref>
[[File:Deir el Balah 1945.jpg|thumb|Deir el Balah 1945 1:250,000]]
===1947–48 war and Egyptian occupation===
In the lead-up to the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], residents of Deir al-Balah participated in a local attack against the nearby [[kibbutz]] of [[Kfar Darom]], despite being discouraged by [[Egyptian Army]] officers, but they were repelled and suffered casualties.<ref>Gelber, p. 57.</ref> During the war, [[Egypt]] captured the town along with other towns in an area that became known as the [[Gaza Strip]]. The Egyptians later established a [[sharia]] court system that held jurisdiction over personal affairs.<ref>Burgel, 1985, p. 31.</ref> Egyptian rule introduced relative prosperity to Deir al-Balah. The town witnessed a booming citrus industry made possible by the discovery of a substantial reservoir of ground water in the vicinity.<ref name="Independent"/> Overall, during the [[Occupation of the Gaza Strip by the United Arab Republic|Egyptian occupation of Gaza]] citizens of the Strip were much poorer than before the partition of Palestine. The population of the strip, including Deir al-Balah swelled during this time period and the Egyptian government restricted movement to and from the Gaza Strip inhibiting its inhabitants from looking elsewhere for gainful employment or housing.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2004-10-01 |title=Communications |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3751/194034604783997132 |journal=The Middle East Journal |volume=58 |issue=4 |pages=1–2 |doi=10.3751/194034604783997132 |issn=0026-3141}}</ref>
In the name of [[pan-Arabism]], the Egyptian state officially merged with the Gaza Strip and [[Syria]] between 1959 and 1961 as part of the short-lived [[United Arab Republic]] (UAR). The project fell apart before significant integration occurred and the legal status of the Gaza Strip was mostly an afterthought during the attempt to create a unified Arab state, with the Strip and its citizens not explicitly being mentioned in the proclamation declaring the founding of the UAR or in the UAR's provisional constitution.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Arab Information Center (U.S.) |url=http://archive.org/details/BasicDocumentsOfTheArabUnifications |title=Basic documents of the Arab unifications |date=1958 |publisher=New York, Arab Information Center |others=dudeman5685 |language=English}}</ref>
===1967 war, Israeli occupation, post-Oslo autonomy===
During the [[Six-Day War]] in June 1967, Deir al-Balah's mayor Sulaiman al-Azayiza briefly led local resistance against the incoming [[Israeli Army]] until formally surrendering the city shortly thereafter. The Israeli authorities took control of the springs, an important irrigation source. This move combined with increasing competition from Israeli citrus farmers, damaged the local citrus industry.<ref name="Independent"/> In 1982 the mayor was dismissed and the municipal council of Deir al-Balah was disbanded and replaced by an Israeli military-appointed administration.<ref name="Mattar">Mattar, 2005, p. 171.</ref> During the course of the Israeli occupation, Deir al-Balah's urban areas extended into lands designated for agriculture, largely as a result of building restrictions which hindered organized expansion.<ref name="Independent"/>
When the [[First Intifada]] broke out in 1987, Deir al-Balah's residents participated in the uprising against Israeli rule. Around 30 residents died during the period of the Intifada,<ref name="Independent">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a-future-of-orange-juice-and-justice-gaza-town-aims-for-prosperity-1435996.html|title=A future of orange juice and justice: Gaza town aims for prosperity|first=Sarah|last=Helm|work=[[The Independent]]|date=1994-05-15|access-date=2012-06-04}}</ref> which formally ended in 1993 with the [[Oslo Accords]] between the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO) and Israel. In 1994 Deir al-Balah was the first city to officially come under the control of the [[Palestinian National Authority]] as a result of the [[Gaza–Jericho Agreement]].<ref>Page, 1993, p. 164.</ref>
The city has been frequently targeted in Israeli military incursions since the [[Second Intifada]] in 2000, largely due to [[Qassam rocket]]-strikes by Palestinian militants.<ref name="BBC1"/><ref name="BBC2"/><ref name="iht.com"/> The areas surrounding the city have also been frequent targets of razing. On 4 January 2004, Israeli authorities bulldozed around 50 dunams (5 [[hectare]]s) of land in the Abu al-Ajen area east of Deir al-Balah's center. Later on 7 January, the [[Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem]] (ARIJ) reported that "Israeli bulldozers staged into al-Hikr area south of Deir el-Balah city under heavy barrage of gunfire and razed 70 dunams (7 hectares) of land planted with guava and orange groves owned by the Abu Holy and Abu Reziq families."<ref>{{cite web|title=ARIJ Monthly Report on the Israeli Colonization Activities in the West Bank |url=http://www.arij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=210&Itemid=35&lang=en |publisher=[[Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem]] (ARIJ) |volume=66 |date=January 2004 |access-date=2012-06-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195617/http://www.arij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=210&Itemid=35&lang=en |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>
During [[Battle of Gaza (2007)|factional clashes]] across the Gaza Strip in June 2007 which ended with [[Hamas]] gaining control over that territory, at least four paramilitaries from Hamas and [[Fatah]] were killed in Deir al-Balah.<ref>{{cite news|title=Qassam Brigades fighter dies of wounds sustained in recent factional clashes|url=http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=196713|work=[[Ma'an News Agency]]|date=2007-06-15|access-date=2012-06-13|archive-date=2014-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726064529/http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=196713|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fatah man found dead in central Gaza and young boy killed by an explosion|url=http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=196749|work=[[Ma'an News Agency]]|date=2007-06-16|access-date=2012-06-13|archive-date=2014-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726084121/http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=196749|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Death toll reaches 43 in the past 48 hours as the conflict intensifies in Gaza|url=http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=196621|work=[[Ma'an News Agency]]|date=2007-06-12|access-date=2012-06-13|archive-date=2014-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726064748/http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=196621|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 2 January 2009, Deir al-Balah was shelled by the Israeli Army as part of its month-long offensive [[Gaza War (2008–09)|Operation Cast Lead]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=207437|title=Day seven: 430 killed, over 2,200 injured since Saturday|work=[[Ma'an News Agency]]|date=2009-01-02|access-date=2012-07-01|archive-date=2014-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726084137/http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=207437|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In the beginning of December, during the second month of the [[2023 Israel–Hamas war|2023 Israel-Hamas War]], [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] tanks cut off the passage from [[Khan Yunis]] to Deir al-Balah.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Israel expands ground offensive to entire Gaza Strip - 'dividing it into three' |url=https://news.sky.com/story/israel-expands-ground-offensive-to-entire-gaza-strip-dividing-it-into-three-13022592 |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref> The IDF campaign, which was intended to target members of [[Hamas]] in the center region of the Gaza Strip, brought down multiple apartment buildings. While resulting in the death of a Hamas commander, the bombing campaign has overwhelmed the [[Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital|Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital]] staff with patients. Doctors described the bombing campaign on December 3 as a bloody day.<ref>{{Citation |title=Doctors at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Emergency Department describe "bloody day" {{!}} CNN |date=2023-10-23 |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/10/23/exp-gaza-hospital-mclean-pkg-102209pseg2-cnni-world.cnn |access-date=2023-12-05 |language=en}}</ref>
In December 2023, the Jaffa Mosque ({{langx|ar|مَسْجِد يَافَا |Masjid Yāfā}})  was destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Deir al-Balah ({{coord|31.4156|34.351}}).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beaule |first1=Victoria |title=As Israel warned Gaza civilians to evacuate, IDF bombs struck city described as sanctuary |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/israel-warned-gaza-civilians-evacuate-idf-bombs-struck/story?id=106406942#:~:text=Between%20Dec.%207%20and%208,destroyed%20walls%20of%20the%20hospital. |access-date=28 January 2024 |work=ABC News |date=25 January 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mosque in central Gaza destroyed in Israeli attacks |url=https://aje.io/trvz4m?update=2582569 |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=27 December 2023}}</ref>
==Archaeology==
White marble pillar shafts were built into the walls of some houses in old Deir al-Balah. They resembled the medieval-era pillars in the [[Temple Mount]] ("Haram ash-Sharif") in Jerusalem.<ref name="CandK248">Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, pp. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/247/mode/1up 247]–248</ref>
===Mosque of al-Khidr===
The Mosque of al-Khidr (also called "[[Maqam (shrine)|Maqam]] al-Khader") is {{convert|24.3|ft|m|sp=us}} by {{convert|53.4|ft|m|sp=us}} and was built on the site of a Byzantine monastery. The northern and southern walls were buttressed and the eastern wall has three apses. The ''Survey of Western Palestine'' related in 1875 that there were Greek inscriptions on one of the steps leading to the door at the southern wall while on the floor was a broken stone slab marked by two [[Maltese cross]]es, apparently resembling a tombstone. Further slabs and Greek inscriptions were found in the eastern part of the mosque and in the courtyard. In the center is a tomb made of modern masonry that tradition claims is the tomb of Saint George ("Mar Jirjis") or al-Khidr, as he is known in Arabic.<ref name="CandK248"/>
Prior to the predominance of orthodox Islam in Palestine, the region contained numerous domed structures dedicated to Muslim patron saints, among which was the Mosque of al-Khidr in Deir al-Balah. In March 2016, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in the Gaza Strip began the restoration of the Mosque of al-Khidr with financial support from [[UNESCO]] and the Nawa Foundation. The project aims to convert the mosque-tomb into a children's cultural library.<ref>{{cite news|title=Palestinians restore Maqam Al-Kader in Gaza Strip|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World/Photos/Palestinians-restore-Maqam-Al-Kader-in-Gaza-Strip/10034/?spt=hfp&cnt=3|access-date=2016-03-29|work=UPI|publisher=United Press International, Inc.|date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:15px;"
|-
! Year
! Type
! Population
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1596 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Defter]] || style="text-align:center;"|1,500;<ref name="Petersen134"/><ref name=HA144/>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1863 || style="text-align:center;"|Estimate || style="text-align:center;"|350<ref name=Guerin223/>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1870 || style="text-align:center;"|Census || style="text-align:center;"|792<ref name=Socin152>Socin, 1879, p. [https://archive.org/stream/zeitschriftdesde01deut#page/152/mode/1up 152], (396x2) people, 134 houses</ref><ref>Hartmann, 1883, p. [https://archive.org/stream/bub_gb_BZobAQAAIAAJ#page/n937/mode/1up  129]:  134 houses</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1922 || style="text-align:center;"|[[1922 census of Palestine|Census]] || style="text-align:center;"|916<ref name=1922CensusA>Barron, 1923, Table V, [[Gaza Subdistrict, Mandatory Palestine|Sub-district of Gaza]], p. [https://archive.org/stream/PalestineCensus1922/Palestine%20Census%20%281922%29#page/n10/mode/1up  8]</ref><ref name=1922CensusB>Barron, 1923, Table XIV, p. [https://archive.org/stream/PalestineCensus1922/Palestine%20Census%20%281922%29#page/n46/mode/1up  44]</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1931 || style="text-align:center;"| [[1931 census of Palestine|Census]]|| style="text-align:center;"|1,587<ref name="1931Census">Mills, 1932, p. [https://archive.org/details/CensusOfPalestine1931.PopulationOfVillagesTownsAndAdministrativeAreas  3]</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
|  1945 || style="text-align:center;"|   [[Village Statistics, 1945|Survey]] ||style="text-align:center;"|2,560<ref name=Hadawi45/><ref name=1945p31>Department of Statistics, 1945, p. [http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VSpages/VS1945_p31.jpg 31]</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1982 || style="text-align:center;"|Census || style="text-align:center;"|15,100<ref>Roy, 1986, p. 144.</ref>
|- style="background:#add8e6;"
| 1997 || style="text-align:center;"|Census || style="text-align:center;"|42,839 (with Camp)<ref name="PCBSCensus"/>
|- style="background:violet;"
| 2007 || style="text-align:center;"|Census || style="text-align:center;"|54,439<ref name="PCBS">[https://web.archive.org/web/20101114002607/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/census2007/ind_loca_09.pdf Table 14: Localities in Deir al Balah Governorate by Type of Locality and Selected Indicators, 2007]. [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS). 2009. p. 62.</ref>
|}
According to a [[1922 census of Palestine|census]] conducted in 1922 by the [[Mandate for Palestine|British Mandate authorities]], Deir al-Balah had a population of 916 inhabitants (893 Muslims, 22 Jews and one Christian).<ref name=1922CensusA/><ref name=1922CensusB/>
The census of 1931 lists 1,587 inhabitants (1,577 Muslims and 10 Christians).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=E. |title=Census of Palestine 1931 |publisher=Greek Convent & Goldberg Presses |year=1931 |location=Jerusalem |pages=3}}</ref> The village statistics of 1938 list the population as 1,823.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VillageStatistics1938orig.pdf |title=Village Statistics |year=1938 |pages=62}}</ref> With a population of 2,560 (2,520 Muslims and 40 Christians) in 1945, Deir al-Balah was a relatively large village.<ref name=Hadawi45/> The influx of [[Palestinian refugee]]s from nearby areas captured by Israel during the 1948 War drastically increased the population thereafter.<ref>Caridi, 2012, Chapter 2.</ref> In the 1997 census by the [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS) Deir al-Balah's population was recorded as 42,839, a figure which included the adjacent Deir al-Balah Camp (the smallest refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.) Nearly 75% of the population were below the age of 30.<ref name="PCBSCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/dba_t1.aspx|title=Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years|publisher=[[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]]|year=1997|access-date=2012-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114025626/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/dba_t1.aspx|archive-date=2011-11-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2004 the PCBS estimated the population to be 46,159. In the 2007 census by the PCBS, the population of Deir al-Balah city alone was 54,439, making it the largest municipality in the Deir al-Balah Governorate. The camp's population was 6,438. However, [[Nuseirat (camp)|Nuseirat]] combined with its refugee camp has a larger population than Deir al-Balah combined with its camp. There were a total of 8,395 households and the average family size consisted of between six and seven members. The gender distribution in the city was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.<ref name="PCBS"/>
Deir al-Balah's entire population is [[Muslim]]. A sizable [[Greek Orthodox]] Christian population existed until the mid-19th century.<ref name="Sharon14"/> In the [[1931 British census of Palestine]], there were only 10 Christians in Deir al-Balah out of a population of 1,587.<ref name="1931Census"/> Today, refugees make up the majority of the population, accounting for over 66% of the city's inhabitants in 1997. However, this figure also included the Deir al-Balah Camp.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/dba_t6.aspx|title=Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status|publisher=[[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]]|year=1997|access-date=2012-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114025621/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/dba_t6.aspx|archive-date=2011-11-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Economy==
[[File:شاطئ دير البلح horizon adjusted.jpg|thumb|right|The beach at Deir al-Balah, 2012]]
The Deir al-Balah Governorate's principal economic activity is services, accounting for 67.4% of the labor force. Commerce, hospitality and retail account for 12.9%, agriculture and fishing 10.1%, transportation and communication 5.4% and manufacturing 3.4%. In 2009 the unemployment rate in the governorate was 35.2% while the labor force participation rate was 38.7%.<ref name="ARIJ"/> In 2007 there were 1,108 business establishments in the city.<ref name="PCBS"/>
===Agriculture and fishing===
Deir al-Balah is well known for growing [[date palm]]s, an estimated 20,000 of which covered the landscape south and west of the city in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Economics of Biodiversity in Palestine|url=http://www.mena.gov.ps/part3/ecomics.htm|publisher=Middle East News Agency|year=1999|access-date=2012-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030755/http://www.mena.gov.ps/part3/ecomics.htm|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, some 3,550 trees were uprooted or bulldozed by the Israeli Army in the early years of the Second Intifada beginning in 2000. There were an estimated 16,500 palms in Deir al-Balah in 2003. In addition to being a local delicacy, date cultivation constitutes one of the principal sources of income for many of Deir al-Balah's residents.<ref name="Ayyam">{{cite news|first=Mohammed|last=al-Baba|title=Palm Trees Under Fire|url=http://www.palestinereport.ps/article.php?article=171|work=[[Al-Ayyam (Ramallah)|Al Ayyam]]|date=2003-11-17|access-date=2012-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511233554/http://www.palestinereport.ps/article.php?article=171|archive-date=2012-05-11|url-status=dead}}</ref> The particular type of date that is cultivated in the area is known as "Hayani."<ref>El-Eini, 2006, p. 498.</ref> It has a distinctly red color.<ref name="Ayyam"/> Other leading agricultural products cultivated in Deir al-Balah include citrus, [[almond]]s, [[pomegranate]]s and grapes.<ref>Orni, 1973, p. 397.</ref>
The city has a small fishing industry and is the site of one of four [[wharf]]s in the Gaza Strip. In 2007 there were about 76 active fishing vessels employed by 550 fishermen. From 2000 to 2006, during the Second Intifada, income from fishing was halved. In order to alleviate losses resulting from a {{convert|10|km|mi|sp=us}} fishing limit off the coast imposed by the [[Israeli Navy]] following Hamas's victory in the 2006 parliamentary elections, the Palestinian Authority Department of Fisheries has sought to construct eight artificial reefs in both Deir al-Balah and Gaza City.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gaza Fishing: An Industry in Danger|url=http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/OCHA_Special_report_gaza_fisheries_April2007.pdf|publisher=[[United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]] (OCHA)|date=April 2007|access-date=2012-06-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706080417/http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/OCHA_Special_report_gaza_fisheries_April2007.pdf|archive-date=2010-07-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Education==
According to the 1997 PCBS census, 87.7% of residents in Deir al-Balah over the age of 10 were literate. The number of people who finished elementary education was 5,740, while 5,964 finished primary education and 5,289 completed secondary school. In higher education, 1,763 people attained associate degrees, 1,336 attained bachelor's degrees and 97 attained higher degrees.<ref>{{cite web|title=Palestinian Population (10 Years and Over) by Locality, Sex and Educational Attainment|url=http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/dba_t3.aspx|publisher=[[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS)|year=1997|access-date=2012-06-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114025608/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/dba_t3.aspx|archive-date=2011-11-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Educational services in Deir al-Balah are under the jurisdiction of the Khan Yunis Directorate of Higher Education.<ref name="MoP">{{cite web|url=http://www.idsc.gov.ps/english/geography/Residential_Deir-El-Balah.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121221090821/http://www.idsc.gov.ps/english/geography/Residential_Deir-El-Balah.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-12-21|title=The Administrative Divisions of Governorates: Deir al-Balah Governorate|publisher=[[Planning Minister of the Palestinian National Authority|Ministry of Planning of the Palestinian National Authority]]|year=1999|access-date=2012-06-16}}</ref> There were a total of 85 schools in the Deir al-Balah Governorate in 2007-08 according to the PNA's [[Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education|Ministry of Education and Higher Education]]. The Palestinian government operated 39 school while four were privately owned. The remainder were run by UNRWA and were mostly located in refugee camps in Deir al-Balah's vicinity. The total number of students in the governorate was 67,693, of which 50.3% were male 49.7% female.<ref name="ARIJ">{{cite web|url=http://vprofile.arij.org/governarate%20Factsheet%20pdfs/deir%20elbalah.pdf|title=Deir al-Balah Governorate Fact Sheet|publisher=[[Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem]] (ARIJ)|year=2011|access-date=2012-06-04}}</ref>
The [[Palestine Technical College]], a vocational and technical college founded in 1992, is located in Deir al-Balah.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/netw_dir3.php?browse=id&id=445|title=Profile of Palestine Technical College|publisher=[[United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization]]-Global Network for Technical and Vocational Education and Training|access-date=2012-06-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ptcdb.edu.ps/mainsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=383|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416130624/http://www.ptcdb.edu.ps/mainsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119&Itemid=383|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-04-16|title=About Palestine Technical College|publisher=Palestine Technical College Official Website|year=2012|language=ar|access-date=2012-06-04}}</ref> A library was added to the campus in 1998.<ref>Sareen, 2004, p. 252.</ref>
==Government==
Deir al-Balah's first [[village council (Palestinian Authority)|village council]] was established in 1946 and an elected local government continued to administer the city until 1982 when the Israeli military authorities dissolved the council and appointed a mayor. In 1994 Deir al-Balah gained the status of a [[List of cities in Palestinian National Authority areas|city]] by the Palestinian Authority (PNA). The Palestinian president, [[Yasser Arafat]], appointed Samir Mohammed Azayiza as mayor until 2000 when he replaced him with Sami Abu Salim, a wealthy businessman from the city.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|first=Steven|last=Erlanger|title=Abbas's Gamble: Pulling a Foe Into Palestinian Politics|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/26/world/middleeast/abbass-gamble-pulling-a-foe-into-palestinian-politics.html?pagewanted=all|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2005-05-26|access-date=2012-06-07}}</ref> The services and functions of the municipality include city planning, infrastructure maintenance and repair, providing utilities, school administration and garbage collection.<ref name="Wilson"/><ref name="NYT"/>
A 15-member [[municipality (Palestinian Authority)|municipal council]] currently administers Deir al-Balah. Although thought to be a stronghold of [[Fatah]], Hamas members defeated Fatah's candidates in the [[Palestinian municipal elections, 2005|2005 Palestinian municipal elections]] by a large margin, taking 13 seats. Despite their political affiliations, all candidates ran as [[Independent (politics)|Independents]]. Two female candidates also gained seats. Local [[sheikh]], school operator and Hamas member [[Ahmad Kurd|Ahmad Harb Kurd]] garnered the most votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Local elections (Round One)—The Winners According to Local Authority, Gender and No. of Votes Obtained|url=http://www.elections.ps:90/admin/pdf/Municipal_Elections_Results_EN_(1).pdf|publisher=Central Elections Committee–Palestine|work=The Higher commission for Local Elections|date=2005-01-27|access-date=2012-06-07}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
===Mayors===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* Sulaiman al-'Azayiza (at least 1967–1982)<ref>Lesch, 1980 p. 98.</ref>
* Israeli Military Governor (1982–1994)<ref name="Mattar"/>
* Samir Mohammed 'Azayiza (1994–2000)<ref name="Independent"/>
{{col-2}}
* Sami Abu Salim (2000–2005)<ref name="NYT"/>
* [[Ahmad Kurd]] (2005–2020)
{{col-2}}
{{col-end}}
==See also==
* [[Hanajira]]
==References==
{{reflist|25em}}
==Bibliography==
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*{{cite book|title=Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae, D-F|volume=3|url=https://archive.org/details/9004131973|first=M.|last=Sharon|author-link=Moshe Sharon|year=2004|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-13197-3}}
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* {{cite book|first=Nicola A.|last=Ziadeh|title=Urban Life In Syria Under the Early Mamluks|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ucBAAAAMAAJ&q=Dayr+Balah+|publisher=Greenwood Press|year=1953|isbn=9780837131627}}
{{refend}}
==External links==
* [http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Dayr_al_Balah_958/index.html Welcome To The City of Dayr al-Balah]
*Survey of Western Palestine, Map 19: [http://www.iaa-archives.org.il/zoom/zoom.aspx?folder_id=93&type_id=6&id=8381  IAA], [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Survey_of_Western_Palestine_1880.19.jpg Wikimedia commons]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041218003544/http://www.pnic.gov.ps/english/works/middlegaza.pdf Laborers in Deir al-Balah Governorate].
* [http://www.ecwbg.info/pdfs/general/Map_Gen_DeirAlBalah.pdf Map of the Deir-al Balah Governorate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929024917/http://www.ecwbg.info/pdfs/general/Map_Gen_DeirAlBalah.pdf |date=2007-09-29 }}
{{Deir al-Balah Governorate}}
{{Cities in Palestinian National Authority areas}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Deir al-Balah| ]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Palestinian territories]]
[[Category:Populated places of the Byzantine Empire]]
[[Category:Cities in the Gaza Strip]]
[[Category:Cities in ancient Egypt]]
[[Category:Bronze Age sites in the State of Palestine]]
[[Category:Philistines]]
[[Category:Date palm orchards]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the State of Palestine]]