Districts of Mandatory Palestine


The Districts and Subdistricts of Mandatory Palestine formed the first and second levels of administrative division and existed through the whole era of Mandatory Palestine, namely from 1920 to 1948. The number and territorial extent of the districts varied over time, as did their subdivision into sub-districts.
In Arabic, a district was known as a minṭaqah, while in Hebrew it was known as a mahoz.
Each district had an administration headed by a District Governor, a role renamed as District Commissioner in 1925. Sub-districts were managed by an Assistant District Commissioner. They were aided by a District Officer, who was typically either Jewish or Arab, based on the ethnic make-up of the sub-district.
By the end of the mandate period, Palestine was divided into 6 districts and 16 subdistricts.

Administrative divisions prior to 1922

Until June 1920, Palestine was under a formal military regime called O.E.T.A.. Initially the country was divided into 13 administrative districts, reduced to 10 in 1919, each under a military government.
At the start of 1920 there were 9 districts: Jerusalem, Jaffa, Hebron, Jenin, Safed, Acre, Tiberias, Tulkarem and Beersheba, but this division was modified by the following month to Jerusalem, Haifa, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Safed, Acre, Tiberias, Galilee, Tulkarem and Beersheba.
The division was revised after the adoption of a civilian administration in the middle of 1920. In September 1920, the districts were Jerusalem, Galilee, Phoenicia, Samaria, Jaffa, Gaza and Beersheva.

Administrative divisions in 1922

In July 1922, administrations of the districts of Phoenicia and Galilee were combined, as were the districts of Jerusalem and Jaffa, and the districts of Gaza and Beersheba. Some reassignment of sub-districts also occurred.
At the time of the October, 1922, census of Palestine, there were four districts divided into 18 sub-districts.
A proclamation of June 1924 divided the country into three districts with 18 sub-districts.
In August 1925, the Southern and Jerusalem-Jaffa Districts were combined into the Jerusalem-Southern District.

Administrative divisions in 1927

In July 1927, the divisions were proclaimed to consist of two districts and one division, divided into 18 sub-districts.
In October 1931, the Hebron Sub-district was combined with the Jerusalem Division to form the Jerusalem District. This was the subdivision at the time of the November 1931 census of Palestine.
In 1937, the Acre, Beisan, Nazareth, Safad and Tiberias sub-districts were removed from the Northern District to form a new Galilee District headquartered at Nazareth. In 1938, the Beersheba and Gaza sub-districts were separated from the Southern District. Then in 1939, the Administrative Division Proclamation reshaped the country into six districts. The name of the Galilee and Acre District was changed to Galilee District in December. Some minor adjustments were made in December 1940.
The Administrative Divisions Proclamation, 1945 reduced the number of sub-districts of the Jerusalem District to three, merging the Bethlehem and Jericho subdistricts into the Jerusalem subdistrict. Although not published until June, it stated that the change "shall be deemed to have come into force on the 1st January, 1945".