Khan Yunis city

• Israel’s offensive in Gaza has shifted to the south, with its forces pushing into Khan Younis, a major southern city that had provided refuge for Palestinians displaced from the north.
• Khan Younis, north of the Rafah border crossing, is the largest city in southern Gaza.
• It was home to about 400,000 people before the war.
• It houses civilian infrastructure, such as Nasser Hospital, and is also the site of one of eight U.N. camps for Palestinian refugees who had to leave their homes in the 1948 war.

ABOUT THE CITY

• The city dates to the Mamluk empire in the 14th century, when Emir Yunus al-Nuruzi constructed a caravan serai, or a “khan” in Arabic, which was a roadside inn where travellers could rest from their day’s journey.
  • Hence, the name of the future city became known as Khan Younis.
• In 1387, Mamuk Sultan Barqouq ordered the emir to build a castle in his name.
  • The castle not only protected residents of the city but served as a linking point between Cairo and Damascus, as it ensured a space for merchants and travellers to trade.
  • Barqouq Castle stands today as one of the most important historical monuments in Palestine.