List of cities in Palestine
 | This article needs more citations. (October 2026) |
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The signing of the Oslo II accords (also known as the 1995 Interim agreements and sometimes called the Taba Agreement) between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, took place on 28 September 1995.[1] The Palestinian National Authority, which was renamed to the State of Palestine in 2013,[citation needed] took control of civil affairs in the West Bank Palestinian enclaves, designated Areas A and B, where most Palestinian population centers are located (and excluding those within the municipal borders of East Jerusalem). Israel Defense Forces are responsible for security in Area B in the West Bank and have full control over localities in Area C.[citation needed]
The Local Government Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority is responsible for granting a town with city or municipality status. However, there is no specific guidelines for a particular locality to achieve the status of Palestinian city. It is mostly judged on the population reaching above 20,000. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) took its latest official census in 2017.[2]
The largest city in the Gaza Strip and all of Palestine was Gaza City prior to the Gaza war, and the largest cities in the West Bank are East Jerusalem and Hebron. Some cities form agglomerations with other towns or cities, such as the Bethlehem metropolitan area with Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Ramallah and al-Bireh also form an agglomeration and are often considered a single city.[citation needed]
Cities
- Largest cities in the State of Palestine by population
Jerusalem is Palestine's capital and largest city by population.
Gaza City, the second largest city by population
Khan Yunis is the third largest city by population.
Hebron, Palestine's fourth largest municipality by population
Deir al-Balah, Palestine's fourth largest municipality by population
Nablus, Palestine's fourth largest municipality by population
Notes: Salfit is the capital of the Salfit Governorate but due to its low population, it does not have city status[citation needed]
| Name | Governorate | Jurisdiction | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 estimate[3][a] |
2017 census[2] |
Change | |||
| Abasan al-Kabira
عبسان الكبيرة | Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip | Area A | 34,464[b] | 26,767 | +28.8% |
| Abu Dis
أبو ديس |
Jerusalem, West Bank | Area B | N/A[c] | 12,251 | - |
| Bani Na'im
بني نعيم | Hebron, West Bank | Area A, Area B | 30,640 | 24,628 | +24.4% |
| Bani Suheila
بني سهيلا | Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip | Area A | 53,355[b] | 41,439 | +28.8% |
| Beit Hanoun
بيت حانون | North Gaza, Gaza Strip | Area A | 68,984[b] | 52,237 | +32.1% |
| Beit Jala
بيت جالا | Bethlehem, West Bank | Areas A[d] and C | 16,102 | 13,484 | +19.4% |
| Beit Lahia
بيت لاهيا | North Gaza, Gaza Strip | Area A | 118,640[b] | 89,838 | +32.1% |
| Beit Sahour
بيت ساحور | Bethlehem, West Bank | Area A | 15,860 | 13,281 | +19.4% |
| Beit Ummar
بيت اُمّر | Hebron, West Bank | Area B | 21,121 | 16,977 | +24.4% |
| Beitunia
بيتونيا | Ramallah and al-Bireh, West Bank | Area A | 31,741 | 26,604 | +19.3% |
| Bethlehem†
بيت لحم | Bethlehem, West Bank | Area A | 34,143 | 28,591 | +19.4% |
| al-Bireh
البيرة | Ramallah and al-Bireh, West Bank | Area A | 54,853 | 45,975 | +19.3% |
| Deir al-Balah†
دير البلح | Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip | Area A | 94,787[b] | 75,132 | +26.2% |
| ad-Dhahiriya
الظاهرية | Hebron, West Bank | Area A | 44,693 | 35,924 | +24.4% |
| Dura
دورا | Hebron, West Bank | Area A | 48,938 | 39,336 | +24.4% |
| Gaza City†
غزة | Gaza, Gaza Strip | Area A | 727,304[b] | 590,481 | +23.2% |
| Halhul
حلحول | Hebron, West Bank | Area A | 33,629 | 27,031 | +24.4% |
| Hebron†
الخليل | Hebron, West Bank | Areas A, B, and C | 250,142 | 201,063 | +24.4% |
| Idhna
إذنا | Hebron, West Bank | Area B | 32,358 | 26,009 | +24.4% |
| Jabalia†
جباليا | North Gaza, Gaza Strip | Area A | 228,073[b] | 172,704 | +32.1% |
| Jenin†
جنين | Jenin, West Bank | Area A | 59,288 | 49,908 | +18.8% |
| Jericho†
أريحا | Jericho, West Bank | Area A | 24,353 | 20,907 | +16.5% |
| Jerusalem†
القُدس | Jerusalem, West Bank | Area C | N/A[c] | N/A[c] | - |
| Khan Yunis†
خان يونس | Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip | Area A | 264,108[b] | 205,125 | +28.8% |
| Nablus†
نابلس | Nablus, West Bank | Area A | 184,152 | 156,906 | +17.4% |
| Qabatiya
قباطية | Jenin, West Bank | Area A | 29,032 | 24,439 | +18.8% |
| Qalqilya†
قلقيلية | Qalqilya, West Bank | Area A | 62,182 | 51,683 | +20.3% |
| Rafah†
رفح | Rafah, Gaza Strip | Area A | 219,632[b] | 171,899 | +27.8% |
| Ramallah†
رام الله | Ramallah and al-Bireh, West Bank | Area A | 46,528 | 38,998 | +19.3% |
| Sa'ir
سعير | Hebron, West Bank | Area B | 25,780 | 20,722 | +24.4% |
| as-Samu
السموع | Hebron, West Bank | Area A | 32,360 | 26,011 | +24.4% |
| Surif
صوريف | Hebron, West Bank | Area B, Area C | 21,507 | 17,287 | +24.4% |
| Tubas†
طوباس | Tubas, West Bank | Area A | 25,728 | 21,431 | +20.1% |
| Tulkarm†
طولكرم | Tulkarm, West Bank | Area A | 74,838 | 64,532 | +16.0% |
| Ya'bad
يعبد | Jenin, West Bank | Area A | 19,021 | 16,012 | +18.8% |
| al-Yamun
اليامون | Jenin, West Bank | Area A | 24,678 | 20,774 | +18.8% |
| Yatta
يطّا | Hebron, West Bank | Area A | 79,014 | 63,511 | +24.4% |
| az-Zawayda
الزوايدة | Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip | Area A | 30,078[b] | 23,841 | +26.2% |
See also
- Arab localities in Israel
- List of cities in the Gaza Strip
- List of cities in Israel
- List of Israeli settlements with city status in the West Bank
- List of towns and villages depopulated during the 1947–1949 Palestine war
- List of twin towns and sister cities in Palestine
- List of villages depopulated during the Arab–Israeli conflict
- Municipality (Palestine)
- Palestinian refugee camps
- Village council (Palestine)
Notes
- ↑ Projection published in 2021, and is the latest available official data[3]
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Population estimates were prepared before the Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip on October 7th, 2023, and may not represent the current reality of the population"[3]
- 1 2 3 Newer PCBS data aggregates several localities near Jerusalem into one number
- ↑ Area A comprises approximately 3,500 dunams (3.5 km2) or about 25% of the town's land, which is under Palestinian control. The remaining 75% (Area C) is under Israeli jurisdiction. 7% of Area C in total is located inside the municipality's borders[4]
References
- ↑ "On This Day: Oslo II Accord signed by Rabin and Arafat". The Jerusalem Post. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017: Census Final Results - Summary. 2017" (PDF). PCBS. 2018-08-06.
- 1 2 3 "Population Projections". PCBS. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ↑ "Beit Jala Municipality - Background Information". www.beitjala-city.org. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021.
