Editing Ashkelon (section)

== Palestinians and Ashkelon ==

=== Origins of Hamas ===
{{further | List of towns and villages depopulated during the 1947–1949 Palestine war |Towns and villages in Mandatory Palestine }}
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Most of the founding members of Hamas were born in [[Mandatory Palestine]], outside of the [[Gaza strip]], or have parents who were. Many of them were from villages that were in the vicinity of present-day Ashkelon, including most of the party's leaders:

* Founding leader [[Ahmed Yassin]] was born in [[Al-Jura]].<ref name="Yassin Jura" >{{cite book | last=Kabahā | first=Muṣṭafá | title= The Palestinian People: Seeking Sovereignty and State | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=QyTCNAEACAAJ | year=2014 |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers, Incorporated | isbn=978-1-58826-882-2 | access-date=28 October 2020 | archive-date= 19 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219083406/https://books.google.com/books?id=QyTCNAEACAAJ | url-status=live | page=323 }}</ref>
* Yassin's successor [[Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi]] was born in [[Yibna]].<ref name="Aziz Gaza history" >{{cite book| title= Gaza: A History | publisher= [[Oxford University Press]] | page=97 | author-link= Jean-Pierre Filiu | first= Jean-Pierre |last=Filiu}}</ref>
* The father of [[Faiq Al-Mabhouh|Faiq]] and [[Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh]] was from [[Bayt Tima]].<ref name="Mabhouh - AJ Ency" >{{cite news| title= Fayeq Al-Mabhouh...a police general in Gaza who was assassinated by Israel | url = https://aja.ws/7ff59c | access-date=30 April 2024 | work=Encyclopedia | agency=Al Jazeera | date=19 March 2024 }}</ref>
* [[Ismail Haniyeh]]'s parents [[1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight|migrated]] from [[Al-Jura]] to [[Gaza Strip#1948|Gaza]] in [[1948 Palestine war|1948]].<ref name=bbcprofile>{{cite news|title=Profile: Hamas PM Ismail Haniya |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4655146.stm |newspaper=BBC |date=14 December 2006|access-date=25 June 2024|archive-date=18 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218062008/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4655146.stm |url-status=live}}</ref><!-- possibly also Jura -->
* [[Yahya Sinwar]] was born in the [[Khan Yunis refugee camp|Khan Yunis]] in [[Occupation of the Gaza Strip by the United Arab Republic|Egyptian-occupied Gaza]] in 1962 to a family who [[1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight|left]] Ashkelon (then called Al-Majdal) during the [[1948 Palestine War]].<ref name="britannica_Yahya-Sunwar">{{Cite web | date= 2024-01-28 | title= Yahya Sinwar {{!}} Hamas Leader, Biography, & Facts {{!}} Britannica | url= https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yahya-Sunwar |access-date=2024-02-01 | website= www.britannica.com | language=en | archive-date=28 January 2024 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240128125507/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yahya-Sunwar | url-status=live }}</ref>
* One of few exceptions is [[Khaled Mashal]], who was born in [[Silwad]], in the [[Jordanian annexation of the West Bank|Jordanian]] ruled [[West Bank]].<ref name="2008a" >{{cite journal | title = Khalid Mishal: The Making of a Palestinian Islamic Leader Interviewed by Mouin Rabbani | date = 2008 | volume = 37 | issue = 1 | last = Rabbani | first = Mouin | author-link = Mouin Rabbani | url = https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/42013 | journal = [[Journal of Palestine Studies]] | publisher = Institute for Palestine Studies | pages = 61 }}</ref>

[[File:Rocketpopmap.jpeg |thumb|center| Ashkelon is located in the 20–30 seconds' run to safety area due to [[BM-21 Grad]] rocket range. ]]

=== Palestinian conflict with modern Ashkelon ===

On 1–2 March 2008, rockets fired by [[Hamas]] from the [[Gaza Strip]] (some of them [[BM-21#Gaza Strip|Grad rockets]]) hit Ashkelon, wounding seven, and causing [[property damage]]. Mayor Roni Mahatzri stated that "This is a [[Declaration of war|state of war]], I know no other definition for it. If it lasts a week or two, we can handle that, but we have no intention of allowing this to become part of our daily routine."<ref>{{cite news|title=Israeli City Shocked As Rockets Hit|agency=Associated Press|date=3 March 2008}}</ref> In March 2008, 230 buildings and 30 cars were damaged by rocket fire on Ashkelon.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bassok |first=Moti |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/ashkelon-sderot-residents-file-1-000-damage-claims-over-recent-rocket-attacks-1.240800 |title=Ashkelon, Sderot residents file 1,000 damage claims over recent rocket attacks |work=Haaretz |date=16 May 2007 |access-date=2011-08-10}}</ref>

On 12 May 2008, a rocket fired from the northern Gazan city of [[Beit Lahia|Beit Lahiya]] hit a shopping mall in southern Ashkelon, causing significant structural damage. According to ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'', four people were seriously injured and 87 were treated for [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|shock]]. Fifteen people suffered minor to moderate injuries as a result of the collapsed structure. Southern District [[Chief of police|Police chief]] Uri Bar-Lev believed the Grad-model [[Katyusha rocket launcher|Katyusha]] rocket was manufactured in [[Iran]].<ref name="autogenerated7">{{cite web|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1210668639052&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |work=Jeruselum Post|title=Iranian made rocket strikes Ashkelon – Ashkelon |access-date=2008-05-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511145843/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1210668639052&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=11 May 2011 }}</ref>

In March 2009, a Qassam rocket hit a school, destroying classrooms and injuring two people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jta.org/news/article/2009/03/01/1003355/kassam-slams-into-ashkelon-school |title='Improved' Kassam slams into Ashkelon school |publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=1 March 2009 |access-date=2011-08-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727053047/http://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/03/01/1003355/kassam-slams-into-ashkelon-school |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}</ref>

In November 2014, the mayor, [[Itamar Shimoni]], began a policy of discrimination against Arab workers, refusing to allow them to work on city projects to build bomb shelters for children. His discriminatory actions brought criticism from others, including Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] and [[Jerusalem]] mayor [[Nir Barkat]] who likened the discrimination to the anti-Semitism experienced by Jews in Europe 70 years earlier.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jerusalem Mayor: We cannot discriminate against Arabs |url=https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Jerusalem-Mayor-We-cannot-discriminate-against-Arabs-382504 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|date=22 November 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ho |first1=Spencer |title=PM, senior ministers pan Ashkelon mayor for barring Arab workers |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/rights-group-to-sue-ashkelon-mayor-for-barring-arab-workers/ |website=The Times of Israel}}</ref>

On May 11, 2021, Hamas fired 137 rockets on Ashkelon<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinian-rocket-fire-israeli-air-strikes-gaza-2021-05-11/|title=Hamas and Israel trade blows as Jerusalem unrest ignites Gaza|work=Reuters|access-date=2021-05-11|date=2021-05-11|last1=Al-Mughrabi|first1=Nidal|last2=Farrell|first2=Stephen|last3=Heller|first3=Jeffrey}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-palestine-jerusalem-gaza-airstrikes-rockets-middle-east-news-2021-05-11/|title=Israel hammers Gaza with deadly airstrikes in retaliation for volley of rockets as Mideast crisis escalates|publisher=[[CBS News]]|access-date=2021-05-11|date=2021-05-11}}</ref> killing 2 and injuring many others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/four-people-injured-after-rocket-strikes-house-in-ashkelon-667825|title=Two dead, over 70 Israelis injured after rockets strike Ashkelon, Ashdod|access-date=2021-05-11|date=2021-05-11}}</ref>

On October 10, 2023, during the [[Gaza war]], [[Abu Obaida (Hamas)|Abu Obaida]], spokesperson for Hamas, warned all citizens of Ashkelon to evacuate before 5:00 P.M. local time via a post to his [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] channel. Once the deadline hit, Hamas launched a barrage of missiles towards Ashkelon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Clyde |date=2023-10-10 |title=Hamas warns residents of coastal Israeli city to evacuate before rocket attack |url=https://news.yahoo.com/idf-says-regained-control-gaza-120017085.html |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}</ref>