Zaytun Quarter

{{Short description|Neighborhood in Gaza, Palestine}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Zeitoun | settlement_type = Neighborhood | official_name = Zaitoun | other_name = | native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ar|الزيتون}}}} | nickname = | motto =  | image_skyline = UNRWA Zaitoun Boys School, February 2024.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Ruins in Zaytun in 2024 | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 13 | pushpin_map = Palestine Gaza  | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Gaza Strip | pushpin_mapsize = 250 | subdivision_type = State | subdivision_name = [[State of Palestine]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Governorates of Syria|Governorate]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Gaza Governorate]] | subdivision_type2 = City | subdivision_name2 = [[Gaza City|Gaza]] | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 =  | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = Control | leader_name = '''Contested:'''<br>{{flag|Israel}}<br>{{flag|Hamas}} | leader_title1 =  | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | established_title =  | established_date = | established_title2 =  | established_date2 = | established_title3 =  | established_date3 =  | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = Metric  | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 =  | area_land_km2 =  | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank1_sq_mi =  | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = Ethnicities | population_blank1 = | population_blank2_title = Religions | population_blank2 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi =  | timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]] | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = +3 | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = {{coord|31|29|15|N|34|26|38|E|region:PS|display=inline,title}} | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m = | elevation_ft =  | postal_code_type =  | postal_code = | area_code = | blank_name = | blank_info = | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Al-Zaytun''' (also spelled '''Zeitoun''' or '''Harat az-Zaytoun'''; {{langx|ar|الزيتون}}; Arabic translation: "the Quarter of Olive trees"<ref>Palmer, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp00conduoft#page/359/mode/1up 359]</ref>) is the southwestern and largest quarter of the [[Old City of Gaza]].<ref name=Sharon>{{cite book |title=Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae|chapter=Gaza |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC |first1=Moshe |last1=Sharon |author-link=Moshe Sharon |year=2009 |volume=4 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-17085-8|pages=28–30|quote=The old city of Gaza, where all the remnants of the ancient, medieval and early Ottoman city are found, is divided into four quarters, a few of which are subdivided. Three of these quarters (at-Tuffäh, ad-Daraj, and az-Zaytun) were within the walls of the ancient city. The southeastern quarter, as-Saja'iyyah, developed later than the others, mainly outside these walls… The four quarters of the city are as follows… In the southwest (generally: south): Hãrat (or Hayy) az-Zaytün (the "Olive Quarter") called thus because of its olive groves. It is the largest quarter of Gaza… The Daraj Quarter is separated from the Zaytün Quarter by a wide road built during WWI by Jamãl Pasha. He ordered the demolition of a great part of the medieval Khãn az-Zayt to make room for the road to which he gave his name. The city council however, decided to change its name to 'Umar al-Mukhtär Street…}}</ref> Prior to the demolition of the Old City's walls, it was one of the three walled quarters of Gaza's Old City, the other two being [[al-Tuffah]] in the northeast and [[al-Daraj]] in the northwest. [[Omar Mukhtar Street]], Gaza City's main thoroughfare, separates al-Zaytun from al-Daraj.<ref name="Sharon30">Sharon, 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA30 30]</ref>

==History== The northwestern part of al-Zaytun was known as "Dar al-Khudar" ("the Vegetable House"), which was a small subdivision that contained the open-air vegetable market known as "Suq al-Khudar". In 1525, Dar al-Khudar contained 43 households,<ref name="Sharon29">Sharon, 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA29 29]</ref> while Zaytun, the south eastern part of present Al-Zaytun, had 54 households and 30 bachelors,<ref name=Cohen117>Cohen and Lewis, 1978, p. 117</ref> and Nasara, close to the [[Church of Saint Porphyrius]], had 82 households.<ref name=Cohen119>Cohen and Lewis, 1978, p. 119</ref>

The [[Palestinian Christian|Christian]] and [[Jew]]ish neighborhoods of Gaza were also a part of al-Zaytun. The 5th century [[Saint Porphryrius Church]], belonging to the [[Greek Orthodox]] denomination, is located in al-Zaytun and stands alongside the 14th century [[Kateb al-Welaya Mosque]], with only two meters of space in between the former's bell tower and the latter's [[minaret]]. Adjacent to the church is the old Christian graveyard.<ref name="Sharon30"/> Also located in al-Zaytun is the [[al-Shamah Mosque]].<ref>Sharon, 2009, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA31 31]</ref>

The last Jewish residents of al-Zaytun were evacuated by the British army following the [[1929 Palestine riots]].

It was expanded in the 1930s and 1940s as Gaza developed outside its center. Much of the funding for the initial construction is attributed to foreign institutions, such as missionary hospitals.<ref>Dumper, Abu-Lughod, and Stanley, 2007, p.156.</ref> After the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], with the influx of [[Palestinian refugee]]s, Zeitoun's population swelled. [[Ahmed Yassin]]'s family settled the district in the 1950s.<ref>Milton-Edwards, 1999, p.98.</ref>

=== 2008–2009 Gaza War === {{Main|Zeitoun killings}} During the [[2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict]], the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) launched a [[Zeitoun killings|ground incursion in the area]], occupying the district. During this period, 48 Palestinians, mostly from three families, were killed. In addition, 27 homes, a number of farms, and a mosque were destroyed.{{Citation needed|reason=A reference is needed for these numbers|date=October 2024}}

=== Gaza war (2023–) === {{Main|Gaza war}}

[[File:SoI - IDF D9N in Zaitoun - 2024-05-16.jpg|thumb|An [[IDF Caterpillar D9]] in Zaytun in May 2024]] The Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City became a focal point of attack by the IDF during the [[Gaza war]]. On October 19, 2023, the Israeli Air Force [[Church of Saint Porphyrius airstrike|struck]] the neighborhood's historic [[Church of Saint Porphyrius]], killing 19 civilians.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vargas |first=Ramon Antonio |date=2023-10-21 |title=Former US congressman says family members killed in Gaza church blast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/21/justin-amash-family-members-killed-gaza-church |access-date=2024-12-03 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2024, the [[749 Battalion]] was deployed to southern Gaza City, including Zeitoun, as part of a broader campaign involving demolition and population displacement.<ref name="dropsitenews20241022">{{Cite web |last=Tirawi |first=Younis |title="Our Job Is to Flatten Gaza. No One Will Stop Us." |url=https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-749-battalion-demolition-gaza |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=www.dropsitenews.com |language=en}}</ref> Reports indicated that the area experienced widespread destruction as part of the IDF’s ongoing efforts in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-13 |title=Middle East: Gaza food markets ‘in decay’ as starvation looms |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156896 |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=UN News |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Destruction of UNRWA Zaitoun Boys School, Gaza Strip.jpg|thumb|The wreckage of the UNRWA Al-Zaytoon Prep Male School in February 2024]] A video shared by a member of the IDF’s D9 bulldozer company documented the demolition of several homes in Zeitoun. The video, later reposted on the company’s official social media account, included the caption, “Our job is to flatten Gaza.” Additional commentary on the post affirmed the company’s determination, stating, “No one will stop us.”<ref name="dropsitenews20241022"/> The footage, along with other footage from the Zeitoun neighborhood, drew criticism from international observers including [[Amnesty International|Amnesty]] for their impact on civilian infrastructure and population centers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Israel/OPT: Israeli military must be investigated for war crime of wanton destruction in Gaza – new investigation |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/09/israel-opt-israeli-military-must-be-investigated-for-war-crime-of-wanton-destruction-in-gaza-new-investigation/ |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Amnesty International |language=en}}</ref>

The neighborhood's partially destroyed Church of Saint Porphyrius was threatened by a renewed Israeli incursion in May 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-11 |title=New Invasion in Zeitoun, North Gaza Threatens St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church |url=https://orderofsaintgeorge.org/zeitoun-gaza-invasion-st-porphyrios/ |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Order of Saint George |location=Office of Public Relations |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2024, amid the Israeli military's seventh incursion in the neighborhood, Israeli warplanes struck a school-turned-shelter in the neighborhood, killing more than a dozen people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=5 killed, many injured in Israeli airstrike on school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/5-killed-many-injured-in-israeli-airstrike-on-school-sheltering-displaced-palestinians-in-gaza/3330409 |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=www.aa.com.tr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-22 |title=Most recent Israeli bombing of a school-turned-shelter is latest crime against Gaza’s displaced people |url=https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6478/Most-recent-Israeli-bombing-of-a-school-turned-shelter-is-latest-crime-against-Gaza%E2%80%99s-displaced-people |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|2}} ==Bibliography== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last1=Cohen |first1=Amnon |last2=Lewis |first2=Bernard |author-link2=Bernard Lewis |title=Population and Revenue in the Towns of Palestine in the Sixteenth Century |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1978 |isbn=0-691-09375-X}} *{{cite book |title=History of the city of Gaza: from the earliest times to the present day |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofg00meyeuoft |first1=Martin Abraham |last1=Meyer |year=1907 |author-link=Martin A. Meyer |publisher=Columbia University Press}} *{{cite book |last=Palmer |first=E. H. |author-link=Edward Henry Palmer |year=1881 |url=https://archive.org/details/surveyofwesternp00conduoft |title=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 |publisher=[[Palestine Exploration Fund|Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund]]}} *{{cite book |title=Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae, G |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC |first1=Moshe |last1=Sharon |author-link=Moshe Sharon |year=2009 |volume=4 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-17085-8}} *{{Citation|title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia|first1=Michael|last1=Dumper|first2=Bruce E.|last2=Stanley|first3=J.|last3=Abu-Lughod|author-link3=Janet Abu-Lughod|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2007|isbn= 978-1-57607-919-5}} *{{Citation|title=Islamic Politics in Palestine|first1=Beverley|last1=Milton-Edwards|publisher=I.B.Tauris|year=1999|isbn=978-1-86064-475-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/islamicpoliticsi00beve}} {{refend}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Zeitoun, Gaza}} *Survey of Western Palestine, Map 19: [http://www.iaa-archives.org.il/zoom/zoom.aspx?folder_id=93&type_id=6&id=8381 IAA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412003755/http://www.iaa-archives.org.il/zoom/zoom.aspx?folder_id=93&type_id=6&id=8381 |date=2023-04-12 }}, [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Survey_of_Western_Palestine_1880.19.jpg Wikimedia commons]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaytun}} [[Category:Neighborhoods of Gaza City]] [[Category:Zaytun Quarter| ]] [[Category:Populated places established in the 1930s]]