Skip to the record
Palestine Atlas

Khan Yunis

Basic Information

Type
City
Governorate
Khan Yunis
Region
Gaza Strip

Overview

Khan Yunis was originally the village of Salqah before a vast caravanserai was constructed by Mamluk emir Yunis al-Nawruzi in 1387-88. The growing town took the name Khan Yunis ('Caravanserai of Yunis') and became an important trade center on the route between Egypt and Damascus. During the 1948 Nakba, the town's population swelled with refugees from the Lydd-Ramleh corridor and southern Palestine. Khan Yunis is infamous as the site of a massacre by Israeli forces in November 1956 during the Suez Crisis, when 275 Palestinians (including 140 refugees) were killed in two days of house-to-house executions. Under the 2007-2023 blockade, Khan Yunis became an agricultural and commercial hub for southern Gaza, known for its vegetable production and poultry farming. During the 2023-2026 war, the city became the primary destination for over 500,000 displaced Palestinians from northern Gaza, its population swelling to an estimated 500,000+ before the Israeli ground invasion reached the city in early 2024, causing catastrophic destruction.

Historical Significance

Historic Mamluk caravanserai and trade center; site of 1956 Khan Yunis massacre by Israeli forces (275 killed); Barquq Castle; agricultural hub of southern Gaza; major displacement destination during 2023-2026 war

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.

  • PCBS 2017 Census
  • UNRWA Khan Yunis Camp Profile
  • UN OCHA Gaza Strip Reports
  • B'Tselem - 1956 Khan Yunis Massacre Documentation
  • Human Rights Watch - Gaza Operations Investigations
  • ARIJ - Gaza Agricultural Profile
  • Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture (Gaza)
  • Wikipedia
  • PASSIA

Heavily damaged in 2023-2026 war. Population temporarily doubled as northern Gaza residents were ordered to evacuate south, then the city itself was invaded and destroyed. The 1956 massacre remains a defining event in Palestinian collective memory.