Al-Mughraqa
Municipality type C in Gaza, State of Palestine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Al-Mughraqa (Arabic: المغراقة, also known as Abu Middein) is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Governorate of the Gaza Strip, located six kilometers southwest of Gaza City. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), al-Mughraqa had a population of 11,458 in 2017.[1] The town's alternate name, "Abu Middein" derives from the Bedouin Abu Middein tribe that inhabits the area, part of the larger al-Hanajreh tribal confederation.[2]
al-Mughraqa | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | المغراقة |
| • Latin | Abu Middein (official) |
  al-Mughraqa Location of al-Mughraqa within Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°28′03.00″N 34°24′35.00″E | |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Gaza |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Head of Municipality | Yousef Abu Hweishel |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
• Total | 11,458 |
| • Density | 3,500/km2 (9,000/sq mi) |
History
In 1996, a Bronze Age settlement dating to the early 2nd millennium BC was discovered in the town and named al-Moghraqa.[3]
In 2002, during the Second Intifada, Israel carried out demolitions of Palestinian homes in al-Mughraqa.[4]
The 2014 Gaza War caused damage to al-Mughraqa's water network; in 2015 the municipality had a non-revenue water rate of 58%, amongst the highest in the Gaza Strip.[5]
In late 2023, al-Mughraqa's residents fled south to escape the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. They began to return in February 2025 following a ceasefire. The damage to al-Mughraqa was extensive, encompassing buildings and agricultural land, and the area was left without running water or an electrical supply.[6] The Israeli military established the Netzarim Corridor which spanned the width of the Gaza Strip and passed through al-Mughraqa.[7] An assessment by UNOSAT in December 2024 identified more than 2,800 buildings in al-Mughraqa that had been damaged or destroyed.[8]
Education
Demographics
Economy
Al-Mughraqa is mostly rural, and most employed inhabitants work in agriculture,[14] cultivating tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemons. The Gaza war caused widespread destruction of al-Mughraqa's agricultural land as well as its built environment.[15]
