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Al-Qarara

Coordinates: 31°22′23″N 34°20′21″E / 31.37306°N 34.33917°E / 31.37306; 34.33917
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al-Qarara
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicالقرارة
 • Latinal-Qrara (official)
el-Qarara (unofficial)
al-Qarara is located in Gaza Strip
al-Qarara
al-Qarara
al-Qarara is located in State of Palestine
al-Qarara
al-Qarara
Coordinates: 31°22′23″N 34°20′21″E / 31.37306°N 34.33917°E / 31.37306; 34.33917
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateKhan Yunis
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • Head of MunicipalityEid al-Abdullah
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total
29,004

Al-Qarara or Al Qarara (Arabic: القرارة) is a Palestinian town located north of Khan Yunis, in the Khan Yunis Governorate of the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, al-Qarara had a population of 29,004 inhabitants in 2017,[1] The town is 15 miles south of Gaza City, and used to be a farming village.[2] It lies on trade routes dating back to the Bronze Age.[2]

The town was a site of a displacement camp during the Gaza genocide.[3] The IDF bombed the Al-Qarara Museum in the area In October 2023, which houses Canaanite and Roman-era artifacts from the region.[4] Israeli ground forces demolished numerous residential buildings in the area in 2024.[5]

History

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The town was home to the Al Qarara Cultural Museum,[2] but that museum was destroyed by Israeli forces in late 2023 due to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[6] The Israeli military had also ordered that town to be evacuated due to the war.[7]

This photo depicts Al-Qarara's pedestrian bridge over Salah Aldin Street. On the left side of the photo, an UNRWA school. On the street, a donkey cart which became the main mean of transportation in Gaza after October 7th

A pedestrian bridge over Salah Aldin Street for students was completed in the town in September 2023.[8] The bridge had been funded by Japan's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects program.[8]

The siege of Al-Qarara began on 6 December 2023, as Israeli forces also targeted several other towns,namely Absan, Al-Nazla, Bani Suheila, and al-Satr.[9] By 12 December the town was completely surrounded.[10]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b c "In Gaza, a museum filled with history 'picked up' along the way". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  3. ^ "Gaza family accuses Israel of killing Palestinian with Down syndrome during incursion". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  4. ^ Saber, Indlieb Farazi. "A 'cultural genocide': Which of Gaza's heritage sites have been destroyed?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  5. ^ "Israeli forces blow up residential buildings in Khan Yunis". EgyptToday. 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  6. ^ Monitor, Euro-Med Human Rights. "As part of its genocidal war in Gaza, Israel destroys Palestinians' cultural heritage". Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  7. ^ Kingsley, Patrick; Ahmad, Rawan Sheikh; Fuller, Thomas (2023-12-02). "Israel Orders Evacuations Amid 'Intense' Attacks on Southern Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  8. ^ a b "Completion of a pedestrian bridge in Gaza's al Qarara funded by Japan celebrated". WAFA. 19 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Latest Updates On Bani Suheila Area In The East Of Khan Yunis (Map) - Islamic World News". 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  10. ^ "The Latest Situation In The South Of The Gaza Strip And Khan Yunis (Map) - Islamic World News". 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-08-29.