Kafr Aqab

Basic Information

Type

Town

Governorate

Jerusalem

Region

Jerusalem

Overview

Kafr Aqab is the northernmost Palestinian neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, though it is physically separated from the rest of the city by the Israeli separation wall. Located 11.2 km north of central Jerusalem and only 2 km southeast of Ramallah, it has become, in practice, an extension of the Ramallah urban area. The village has ancient roots: in the Crusader period it was known as Kefreachab, one of 21 villages given by Godfrey of Bouillon as a fief to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Ottoman tax registers from 1596 recorded 47 households. By 1945, there were 290 Muslim residents on 5,472 dunams. Since 1967, Kafr Aqab has experienced explosive growth — from 410 residents in 1961 to approximately 25,000 by 2017. This growth is driven almost entirely by Palestinians holding Jerusalem residency IDs who have been priced out of housing inside the wall and come to Kafr Aqab as one of the few areas where they can still build affordably while maintaining their residency status. The result is rapid, largely unregulated construction with inadequate infrastructure: narrow streets, limited sewage systems, and insufficient public services.

Historical Significance

Crusader village Kefreachab, one of 21 villages given by Godfrey of Bouillon as a fief to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Sources and record limitations

Source detail varies by record. Some entries include document and page references; others supply source names only. Check the cited material and the record's limitations before relying on a specific claim.

• Ir Amim
• B'Tselem
• UN OCHA
• ARIJ
• PCBS
• BADIL Resource Center

Separated by wall from Jerusalem, effectively part of Ramallah