An ancient town and an agricultural city founded by the pagan king Hanoun and making it his summer resort, it was called “Beit Hanoun.” It was also a house for worshiping gods and idols in ancient times. It is considered the northern gate of Gaza, which made it a battleground throughout its history, and a strategic location for including the largest land crossing (Beit Hanoun) linking Gaza to the 1948 territories.
Location and space
Beit Hanoun is located north of Gaza and belongs to the North Gaza Strip Governorate. It is 50 meters above sea level. It is bordered to the northeast by the 1948 armistice line, and to the southwest by the town of Beit Lahia. It is 3 kilometers east of the center of the governorate, and its location is considered strategic for the following reasons:
- The presence of the largest land crossing, “Erez” (Beit Hanoun), connects the Gaza Strip with the Israeli occupation areas, so it is considered a gateway to Gaza City to the 1948 territories.
- The Sderot settlement on the Gaza Strip is 6 kilometers away.
- Its proximity to the border fence erected by Israel.
Population
Beit Hanoun is one of the highly populated cities, and its population in 2023, according to the Encyclopedia of Palestinian Villages, reached 62,916 people. The origins of its population go back to Egypt, Hebron, Hauran, Wadi Musa, and the Al-Huwaitat and Adwan tribes. Its people are known for their chivalry, courage, and assistance to those in distress.
Economy
Beit Hanoun is one of the cities whose people depend on agriculture, as 45% of its land is allocated to agriculture, and it is famous for its vegetables, citrus fruits, and almond, fig, and apple trees.
The repeated Israeli aggression caused the destruction of its lands, resulting in the loss of vast areas of its agricultural lands. During the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, the occupation made 7,500 dunums of its agricultural lands barren.
Many of its residents depend on working within the Green Line, and are considered skilled workers with trained competencies.
In addition to agriculture, there is an industrial zone on an area of 261 dunums, and it includes industries for concrete, tiles, fabrics, plastics, medicines, and cosmetics, in addition to blacksmithing and carpentry.
Historical stations
It is reported that the founder of the Akkadian Empire, Sargon of Akkad, in 720 led his armies towards southern Palestine, and there he subjected the people of the region to his rule.
Then King Hanun came and made it his summer resort, and fierce battles took place there with King Elievi, so they created a statue of Hanun in commemoration of his memory and placed it in the city’s house of worship.
The people of Beit Hanoun entered Islam with the entry of the Islamic conquest into Palestine, and made it a strategic location an arena of fierce battles between the Crusaders and Muslims. It witnessed the defeat of the Franks in 637 AH, and to commemorate this battle, the Victory Mosque was built there.
Because it was the eastern gateway to Gaza throughout its history, it was made during the Mamluk era a postal station between Gaza and Damascus. For the same reason, it has remained a site of wars and clashes throughout its history, which exposed it to widespread destruction.
Beit Hanoun is one of the Palestinian areas closest to the separation fence established by Israel in the northern Gaza Strip. It has been subjected to almost total destruction since the beginning of the aggression on October 7, 2023. The occupation authorities displaced all of its residents on the first day of the war, and caused dozens of massacres.
During the first five months of the devastating war, the homes, schools, and mosques of the residents of Beit Hanoun were leveled, entire residential blocks were wiped out and turned into rubble, and streets, roads, and basic infrastructure were swept away and no longer existed.
Monuments and landmarks
It was built by Prince Shams al-Din Sunqur in 637 AH after his victory over the Crusaders, in commemoration of this victory, and the martyrs of that incident were buried next to it.
And it is inscribed on its door after the basmala: “He ordered the establishment of this blessed mosque, Prince Al-Asfahslar (war commander), the great invader, the mujahid, Al-Murabit Shams al-Din Sunqur, who was identical to the royal dynasty of Kamili al-Adli when he defeated the Franks, may God abandon them in Beit Hanoun on Sunday, the middle of Rabi’ al-Akhir, in the year 637 AH.”
The engraved phrase adds, “He called it the Victory Mosque, and there were some of his companions who were martyred in the battle. He lived his life seeking the face of God. May God have mercy on whoever read it and prayed for mercy and forgiveness for him and for all Muslims, and for his poor writer to God, Muhammad bin Ahmed.”
- Erez Crossing (Beit Hanoun)
It is located on the northern border of the Gaza Strip, separating the territory of the Strip from the territories occupied in 1948, and is considered a vital artery for the Strip. The occupation authorities control the barrier completely.
The crossing suffers from frequent closures and severe restrictions on Palestinian merchants and workers, who are subject to long and humiliating inspection procedures, and are often detained or investigated.
The ongoing closures hinder the daily life of Gaza residents and cause huge economic losses, as more than a million dollars are lost daily as a result of thousands of workers being prevented from reaching their jobs outside the Gaza Strip.
- Ezbet Beit Hanoun
The neighborhood is administratively affiliated with the Beit Hanoun municipality, and it has a committee made up of a group of notables from its residents who represent them in the mother city. In the language, “Izbah” means a limited population center.
The estate was established in 1948 when refugees displaced from their villages settled there and took the west of the city of Beit Hanoun as their headquarters. They lived in houses made of tin and tents.
It was occupied by the Israelis in their aggression on June 5, 1967, and then liberated when they left the Gaza Strip in 2005.
There are several valleys in this ancient city, including Beit Hanoun, Buraydah, and Al-Douh, all of which bear witness to the beauty of its picturesque nature.