In the aftermath of extensive destruction across Gaza, many residents are urgently working to reassemble proof of property ownership lost amid the rubble of airstrikes and combat. In areas like Khan Younis, where entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble following Israeli military actions, Palestinians face the daunting task of recovering documentation crucial to asserting legal claims over their land and homes.
Mohammad al-Agha, whose four-story house was destroyed by an Israeli missile, recently obtained a new hand-stamped municipal document confirming his family's ownership. The paper references digital property records submitted years earlier and details specifics such as plot numbers and floor sizes, providing essential proof of his family's rights to the land. Such recovery efforts have become a lifeline in a context where physical deeds, contracts, bills, and permits were often lost when inhabitants fled or were unable to preserve them amid the conflict.
The need to establish ownership is heightened by ongoing military occupation and plans suggesting future developments in Gaza, including secured residential enclaves, multinational security bases, and possible luxury real estate projects. These initiatives have generated concerns among Palestinians about forced displacement and permanent land confiscation, especially in eastern Gaza where Israeli military control is extensive.
Legal aides and local organizations have mobilized to collect whatever documents they can from various institutions—including water bills, property tax receipts, and municipal permits—to help residents demonstrate their claims. Mohammad al-Saqqa, a legal aid lawyer with the Community Development and Media Center in Gaza, emphasized the urgency of such efforts, noting that partial bureaucratic services and key witnesses may soon be unavailable due to the ongoing conflict and instability.
The complex nature of Gaza’s land administration adds to the challenge. The territory’s property system comprises a patchwork of rights inherited from Ottoman, Egyptian, and British administrations, with many landholders still making payments on contracts dating back decades. An estimated one-third of private property is unregistered with the land authority, known as Tabu, complicating verification processes.
Amid the destruction, many physical archives have been obliterated. The Land Authority’s headquarters, once housing extensive ownership records, was bombed, leading some displaced residents to burn Ottoman-era documents for warmth or cooking. However, a digital archive completed just months before the war began offers some hope. Since January, a small group of bureaucrats have resumed work, enabling some Palestinians to obtain digital copies of title deeds. Nonetheless, vast quantities of documentation have been lost permanently.
In the absence of formal deeds, owners may rely on alternative proof such as financial certificates, utility bills, photographs, witness attestations from neighbors, and statements from community leaders. Legal advocates like Mahmood al-Hour, coordinating aid at the Society of Women Graduates, have stationed specialists at remaining municipal offices and courts to assist residents navigating this complex recovery process. In some cases, unusual documents such as municipal violation notices have been used to confirm residency or property use.
The retrieval of ownership evidence also seeks to reduce potential disputes among neighbors over land boundaries blurred by destruction. Nedal Jarada of the University College of Applied Sciences’ legal program highlighted the broader objective of maintaining social cohesion in Gaza amid an environment where the disruption of property rights could exacerbate divisions. With ongoing uncertainties about Gaza’s future territorial and administrative arrangements under both Israeli military control and international involvement, documenting ownership remains an urgent, multifaceted endeavor for displaced Gazans.