▁known ▁locally ▁as ▁al - K h id r . ▁During ▁the ▁Cr us ader - A yy ub id ▁wars , ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁coast al ▁for tr ess ▁known ▁as ▁" D ar um " ▁which ▁was ▁continu ously ▁cont ested , ▁dis m ant led ▁and ▁re built ▁by ▁both ▁sides ▁until ▁its ▁final ▁demol ition ▁in ▁ 1 1 9 6 . ▁After ward , ▁the ▁site ▁grew ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁large ▁village ▁on ▁the ▁postal ▁route ▁of ▁the ▁M aml uk ▁Sultan ate ▁( 1 3 th - 1 5 th ▁centuries ). ▁It ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁epis cop al ▁see ▁of ▁the ▁Greek ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁in ▁Ott oman ▁times ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Under ▁Egypt ian ▁control ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah , ▁whose ▁population ▁triple d ▁through ▁the ▁infl ux ▁of ▁refuge es ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁Arab - Is ra eli ▁War , ▁was ▁a ▁prosper ous ▁agricult ural ▁town ▁until ▁its ▁capture ▁by ▁Israel ▁in ▁the ▁Six - Day ▁War . ▁After ▁ 2 7 ▁years ▁of ▁Isra eli ▁occupation , ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁city ▁to ▁come ▁under ▁Palest in ian ▁self - rule ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁Since ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Int if ada ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁it ▁has ▁witness ed ▁frequent ▁inc urs