Al-Mughraqa

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
Municipality type C
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

Al-Azhar University established a new campus in al-Mughraqa with international funding.^[9] The campus was destroyed during the Gaza War in 2024.^[10][11]

The Moghraqa Preparatory Girls and Moghraqa Elementary Boys schools were damaged during the Gaza War.^[12]

Demographics

As of 2010, most of al-Mughraqa's residents were refugees.^[13] In 2017 it had 11,458 inhabitants.^[1]

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]