Palestine Square
{{Short description|City square in Gaza City, Palestine}}
{{Infobox historic site
| location = Gaza City, Palestine
|coordinates = {{Coord|31|30|22|N|34|27|42|E|type:landmark_region:PS|display=title, inline}}
}}
Palestine Square ({{langx|ar|ميدان فلسطين|Mīdān Falastīn}}), also known as Al-Saha or As-Saha ({{langx|ar|الساحة}}, "the (community) space" or "the square"),{{cite news |title=Activists hold 'day of rage' protests against Prawer Plan |url=https://www.972mag.com/activists-stage-day-of-rage-protests-against-prawer-plan/ |access-date=24 January 2024 |work=+972 Magazine |date=30 November 2013 |quote=Palestine Square (al-Saha)}} is a city square in east-central Gaza City, Palestine, in between Jamal Abdel Nasser Street and Omar Mukhtar Street. It is the location of a bus station, a taxi station, a fruit market, a hospital, and dozens of small shops and vendors. Gaza's municipal headquarters is also located in the square. Palestine Square once was walled when it laid along the southern edge of the Old City, overlooking barley and vegetable farms, olive and almond groves.Doughty and El Aydi, 1995, pp.15-16
Gaza war
On December 7, 2023, during the fighting in the Gaza war, the Israeli Defense Forces conquered Palestine Square. On November 30, 2023, a week prior to the occupation, Hamas used Palestine Square as the venue for the release of some of the hostages it was holding.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-12-08-23/h_7516b0f4b4970e9a01bffb26f1bb4739 |title=Israeli flag raised in symbolic Palestine Square in Gaza City, video shows |publisher=CNN |first1=Tamar |last1=Michaelis |first2=Sugam |last2=Pokharel |first3=Benjamin |last3=Brown |date=December 8, 2023}}{{dubious|1=Multiple Palestine Squares within Gaza?|date=December 2023|reason=There are apparently two Palestine Squares: not clear which one was conquered and which one was the venue for the hostage release.}}
On January 25, 2025, Hamas used the square to stage the release of four Israeli female soldier held as hostage since October 7, 2023. It was the second round of hostage release as spelled out in the 2025 ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.{{Cite web |last=Maarouf |first=Husam |title=The theatre of defiance: Hamas’ staged message to the world |url=https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/the-theatre-of-defiance-hamas-staged-message-to-the-world-18258218 |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=TRT World |language=en}}
References
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Bibliography
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- {{Citation |title=Israel and the Palestinian territories |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXoY2vCZ5AEC&q=Israel+and+the+Palestinian+territories |first1=Daniel |last1=Jacobs |year=1998 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=978-1-85828-248-0}}
- {{Citation |title=Gaza: legacy of occupation-a photographer's journey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=epwIFMbFB6IC&q=Palestine+Square+Gaza&pg=PA15 |first1=Dick |last1=Doughty |first2=Mohammed |last2=El Aydi |year=1995 |publisher=Kumarian Press, Inc. |isbn=9781565490444}}
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{{Gaza City}}
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