Yahya Rusydi Al-Sarraj (or Yahya R. Sarraj or Yahya Sarraj) is a university professor and local government administrator in Gaza, Palestine. He was appointed Mayor of Gaza City by Hamas in 2019, a move that sparked controversy due to its antidemocratic nature.[1] Fatah, the political party that dominates the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, denounced the selection process.[2]

Yahya Al-Sarraj
يحيى السراج
Mayor of Gaza City
Assumed office
27 July 2019
Preceded byNizar Hijazi
Personal details
Born
Yahya Rusydi Al-Sarraj

1962 (age 61–62)
Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine

Academic career

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Al-Sarraj has served in multiple academic roles throughout Gaza. In 2014, he was the deputy chairman of external affairs at the Islamic University of Gaza.[3] By 2019, he had been serving as the head of the board of trustees of the University College of Applied Sciences, another university in Gaza,[4] and served on a joint committee addressing financial issues across Gazan universities.[5]

Mayoralty

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Al-Sarraj assumed the office of Mayor of Gaza in 2019. At the handover ceremony, he listed internal affairs, service development, activating cultural centres, and focusing on development and investment as the four priorities of the city council under his leadership.[6][7]

Later in 2019 he announced that he was working on a campaign to get Gaza residents to sort their garbage, and was hoping that a private company could be found to recycle it.[7]

After the 2021 conflict with Israel, Al-Sarraj announced the "We Will Rebuild It" campaign to fix damage caused by the war.[8] He also called for the lifting of Israel's blockade on Gaza,[8] which he blamed for the ongoing financial crisis in Gaza City.[7] In June of that year, he was honoured by Fatah's Democratic Reform Movement for his work and effectiveness on rebuilding Gaza, with the presentation of the "Shield of Loyalty".[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Hamas Appointing Municipal Administrations in Gaza Sparks Controversy". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  2. ^ الالكتروني, البيان (2019-07-29). "استهجان فلسطيني لطريقة تعيين "حماس" رئيس بلدية غزة". www.albayan.ae (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  3. ^ Mohareb, Esraa (2014-10-05). "For Gaza's New Academic Year, A Fitful Start". Al-Fanar Media. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  4. ^ "Hamas: PLO factions rejected municipal elections in Gaza". Middle East Monitor. July 30, 2019.
  5. ^ "Gaza's universities: severe financial crisis threatens continuity of work – Middle East Monitor". Middle East Monitor. 2021-02-13. Archived from the original on 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  6. ^ "شاهد: مراسم تسليم رئاسة بلدية غزة للمهندس يحيى السراج.. وهؤلاء الاعضاء الجدد". دنيا الوطن (in Arabic). 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  7. ^ a b c "رئيس بلدية غزة: ديوننا تجاوزت 71 مليون دولار". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  8. ^ a b "يحيى السراج: يجب إنهاء حصار غزة الذي دمّر كل جميل فيها". palinfo.com (in Arabic). 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  9. ^ shfanews (2021-06-09). "تيار الإصلاح بحركة فتح يكرم الدكتور يحيى السراج رئيس بلدية غزة". شبكة فلسطين للأنباء - شفا (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-01-31.