For the purposes of local government the Gaza Strip is divided into five governorates and twenty-five municipalities.
History After the 1995 Interim Agreements, the PNA took control of civil affairs in both designated Areas, A and B where ultimately all Palestinian population centers are located (except those within the municipal borders of East Jerusalem). Israel Defense Forces became responsible for security in Area B. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics took its first official census in 1997, and has not taken one since, however they have used provisional estimates to determine the current population. The most current estimate was in 2006. Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, following the Battle of Gaza (2007) and functioned as the de facto administration in the area until the 2023 Gaza War. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted on 17 November 2025, contains provisions for the interim governance of the Gaza Strip.
Governorates
The Gaza Strip is divided into five governorates: Governorate Population(2017) Area (km2) Populationdensity(km2) Capital Location Deir al-Balah Governorate Deir al-Balah Gaza Governorate Gaza City Khan Yunis Governorate Khan Yunis North Gaza Governorate Jabalia Rafah Governorate Rafah
Cities The following is a list of cities in the Gaza Strip, their governorates, their specific jurisdictions and their provisional populations as of 2006 by the PCBS.
Common nameArabic NameGovernorateJurisdictionPopulation (2007)Population (2017)Bani Suheilaبني سهيلاKhan YunisArea A31,11841,439Beit Hanounبيت حانونNorth GazaArea A37,35152,237Beit Lahiyaبيت لاهياNorth GazaArea A63,21389,838Deir al-Balahدير البلحDeir al-BalahArea A53,14875,132Gaza CityغزةGazaArea A438,690590,481JabaliaجبالياNorth GazaArea A120,859172,704Khan Yunisخان يونسKhan YunisArea A140,046205,125RafahرفحRafahArea A119,763171,899
Municipalities
Municipalities in the Gaza Strip include: Beit Hanoun Beit Lahia Umm al-Nasr Jabalia Gaza City Juhor ad-Dik Al-Mughraga Az-Zahra Nuseirat Al-Bureij Al-Maghazi Az-Zawaida Al-Musaddar Deir al-Balah Wadi as-Salqa Al-Qarara Khan Younis Bani Suhaila Abasan as-Saghirah Abasan al-Kabira Khuza'a Al-Fukhari An-Nasr Shokat as-Sufi Rafah
See also List of cities in Palestine Municipality (Palestinian Authority) Village Council (Palestinian Authority)
References