Beitunia

Beitunia
Other transcription(s)
• Arabic	بيتونيا
• Also spelled	Beituniya (official) Beatonia (unofficial)
Municipal Seal of Beitunia
Beitunia Location of Beitunia within the Palestinian territories
Coordinates: 31°53′20.24″N 35°10′03.12″E
Governorate	Ramallah & al-Bireh
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Head of Municipality	Arafat Khalaf
Area
• Jurisdiction	26,174 dunams (26.2 km2 or 10.106 sq mi)
Population (2007)
• Jurisdiction	19,761
Website	www.beitunia.ps

Beitunia (Arabic: بيتونيا‎) also Bitunya is a Palestinian town located 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) west of Ramallah and 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) north of Jerusalem. The town is in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the central West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 19,761 in 2007, making it the third largest locality in its governorate after al-Bireh and Ramallah.

Separation Barrier

Beitunia's land area consists of 2, 617.4 hectares (26,174 dunams) of which 336.2 hectares is built-up area. The Israeli West Bank barrier separates the urban area from 66% of the town's lands, however most of the cut-off territory (Seam Zone) is made-up of forest and open spaces making it prime agricultural and grazing land.

Hussein Mahmoud 'Awad 'Alian (17 years old) was killed by IDF gunfire on 16 April 2004 during demonstrations against the barrier.