ions ▁by ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁Army ▁with ▁the ▁stated ▁aim ▁of ▁stopping ▁Q ass am ▁ro cket ▁fire ▁into ▁Israel . ▁A hm ad ▁Kur d , ▁a ▁Ham as ▁member , ▁was ▁elected ▁mayor ▁in ▁late ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁" De ir ▁al - Bal ah ," ▁which ▁in ▁Arab ic ▁transl ates ▁as ▁the ▁" Mon aster y ▁of ▁the ▁Date ▁Pal m ," ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁gro ve ▁of ▁date ▁pal ms ▁that ▁li ed ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁Its ▁name ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁before ▁which ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁locally ▁known ▁as ▁" De ir ▁Mar ▁J iry is " ▁or ▁" De ir ▁al - K h id r " ▁and ▁" De ir ▁Dar um " ▁in ▁Ott oman ▁records . ▁" Mar ▁J iry is " ▁transl ates ▁as ▁" Saint ▁George " ▁while ▁in ▁Islam ic ▁tradition ▁al - K h id r ▁could ▁either ▁refer ▁to ▁Saint ▁George ▁or ▁E lij ah . ▁The ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁associated ▁al - K h id r ▁with ▁Saint ▁George . ▁The ▁town ▁had ▁been ▁named ▁after ▁al - K h id r , ▁the ▁most ▁v ener ated ▁saint ly ▁person ▁throughout ▁Palest ine . ▁The ▁mos que ▁in ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁which ▁be ars ▁his ▁name ▁is ▁tradition ally ▁believed ▁by ▁loc als ▁to ▁contain ▁his ▁tomb .