Bait Lahiya
Coordinates: 31 ° 32 ' N , 34 ° 30' E
Bait Lahiya or Beit Lahia ( Arabic بيت لاهية, DMG Bait Lāhiya orبيت لاهيا / Bait Lāhiyā ) is a city with 40,000 inhabitants in the North Gaza Governorate , in the northern Gaza Strip . It is located north of Jabaliya and Gaza , near the city of Beit Hanun and the border with Israel .
In the past, the city has made headlines for recurring clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces until the Israelis finally left the Gaza Strip in September 2005. As a result of the local elections in 2005, the Islamic Hamas took over the administration of the city.