Bint Jbeil

Infobox City
official_name = Bint Jbeil
بنت جبيل‎

---

image_caption =
mapsize =
map_caption =
pushpin_

subdivision_type = Governorate
subdivision_name = Nabatieh Governorate
area_total_sq_mi =
area_land_sq_mi =
area_water_sq_mi =
area_water_percent =
area_total_km2 = 9.10
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 30,000
time_zone = +2
utc_offset =
time_zone DST = +3
utc_offset DST =
latd = 33
latm = 07
lats =
latNS = N
longd = 35
longm = 26
longs =
longEW = E
latitude = 33°07' N
longitude = 35°26' E
website = [http://www.bintjbeil.com/index.en.html]
footnotes =

Bint Jbeil (Lang-ar|بنت جبيل) is the second largest town in the Nabatiye Governorate in Southern Lebanon.

The town has an estimated population of 40,000. Its exact population is not known, because Lebanon has not conducted a census since 1932.

History

The area around Bint Jbeil has been inhabited for millennia. Archaeologists have suggested that the ancient fortified city of En-hazor, which the Book of Joshua describes as having been occupied by the Biblical Tribe of Naphtali, was located in the vicinity. ["Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible", eds. David Noel Freedman, Astrid B Beck, Allen C Myers, p. 407. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (2000)]

According to some historians, the name of the town is derived from a Yemeni name. They argue that the name is linked to Yemeni tribes that immigrated to the Levant centuries ago from Yemeni towns such as Jibla, Jabalan Al Ardaba, and Jabalan Al Raymah, or the two territories of the Jubail lowland and Jubail highland. Other historians claim that the founders of Bint Jbeil were the Phoenicians, who came from the northern Lebanese town of Jbeil (Byblos). Bint Jbeil literally means 'Daughter of Byblos.'

The town is predominately inhabited by Shia Muslims, though the surrounding area also has a significant Christian minority. It has been the site of violent conflict on several occasions during the last century.

Bint Jbeil was occupied by Israel in 1978 during Operation Litani, and again from 1982 until 2000 during the 1982-2000 South Lebanon conflict, during which time it was severely depopulated; as much as 75% of the population was reported to have left for other parts of Lebanon. ["The Situation in Lebanon, July 1989", hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East] It was the scene of occasional violent attacks on Israeli forces (that were occupying Lebanon), such as a deadly suicide car bombing carried out by a Hezbollah member on 25 April 1995. [Ami Pedahzur, "Suicide Terrorism", p. 127. Blackwell Publishing, 2005] Hezbollah took control of the town following the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon.

As the largest town in the area, Bint Jbeil is sometimes known as the "Capital of the Liberated South" (among Lebanese Shi'ites), or the "Capital of Hezbollah" (among Israelis). Under Lebanon's complicated system of sectarian electoral representation, Bint Jbeil's electoral district is allocated 3 Shi'ite seats in the country's parliament. ["The Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia", ed. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz, Christof Hartmann, p. 179. Oxford University Press, 2002] Hezbollah did well in the area in the 2005 elections in Lebanon, winning the local seats to add to its nationwide tally of 14.The town was the site of a famous speech by Hasan Nasrallah in which he described Israel as weak as a spiderweb. [http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1370]

Bint Jbeil was again contested by Israeli and Hezbollah forces in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, during which it suffered heavy damage (See Battle of Bint Jbeil). Reconstruction as of early 2007 had been going very slowly, leading to reports of dissatisfaction among the residents. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/world/middleeast/22lebanon.html Vision of Rebuilding Lebanon Wanes] , Hassan M. Fattah, New York Times, January 22, 2007]

News articles

* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3281031,00.html "IDF in control of Bint Jbeil" - Ynet Israel News] , Article Published: 07.25.06
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3287899,00.html Israel Troops Killed in Bint Jbeil - Ynet Israel News] , Article Published: 08.07.06
* [http://www.imemc.org/content/view/22293/1 Report: “Several soldiers killed after requested to take photos faking capture of Lebanese town" - IMEMC] , Article Published: 10.26.06

References

ee also

* Southern Lebanon

External links

* [http://www.bintjbeil.com/index.en.html Unofficial Website of Bint Jbeil]
* [http://www.bintjbeil.org/ Unofficial Website of Bint Jbeil-Arabic]
* [http://www.uest.gr/medaware/reports/report1a.doc. Population Estimate of Bint Jbeil]