Az-Zawayda

Az-Zawayda (Arabic: الزوايدة), also spelled Zawaida, is a Palestinian town in the Gaza Strip, in the Deir al-Balah Governorate of the State of Palestine. It is located about three kilometers northeast of the city of Deir al-Balah and just west of Maghazi refugee camp. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) 2017 census, there were 23,841 residents.^[1]

Az-Zawayda
Municipality type A (City)
Arabic transcription(s)
• Arabic	الزوايدة
• Latin	Zawaida (official) al-Zawaydeh (unofficial)
Az-Zawayda Location of Az-Zawayda within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°25′50″N 34°22′18″E
State	State of Palestine
Governorate	Deir al-Balah
Government
• Type	City
• Control	Hamas
Area
• Total	15,300 dunams (15.3 km2 or 5.9 sq mi)
Population  (2017)[1]
• Total	23,841
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,000/sq mi)

History

During the Gaza war, an Israeli attack killed at least 13 people after hitting a house in az-Zawayda.^[2] Several weeks later, three Israeli missiles struck a warehouse used as shelter by a displaced family, killing at least 16 people, including six children.^[3] According to a neighbor, "They were asleep in their beds, kids and babies, then three missiles targeted their place".^[4] One of the killed was a wholesale retailer who worked with the Israeli military to bring food into the Gaza Strip.^[5]