r ▁with ▁financial ▁support ▁from ▁UN ES CO ▁and ▁the ▁N awa ▁Foundation . ▁The ▁project ▁a ims ▁to ▁convert ▁the ▁mos que - t omb ▁into ▁a ▁children ' s ▁cultural ▁library . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁census ▁conducted ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Mand ate ▁authorities , ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 9 1 6 ▁inhabitants , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 8 9 3 ▁Muslim s , ▁ 2 2 ▁Jews ▁and ▁ 1 ▁Christians . ▁With ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 , 5 6 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁was ▁a ▁relatively ▁large ▁village . ▁The ▁infl ux ▁of ▁Palest in ian ▁refuge es ▁from ▁nearby ▁areas ▁captured ▁by ▁Israel ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁War ▁dr ast ically ▁increased ▁the ▁population ▁there after . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁census ▁by ▁the ▁Palest in ian ▁Central ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Statistics ▁( PC BS ) ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ' s ▁population ▁was ▁recorded ▁as ▁ 4 2 , 8 3 9 , ▁a ▁figure ▁which ▁included ▁the ▁adjacent ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁Camp ▁( the ▁smallest ▁refuge e ▁camp ▁in ▁the ▁Gaz a ▁St rip .) ▁Near ly ▁ 7 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁were ▁below ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 3 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁the ▁PC BS ▁estimated ▁the ▁population ▁to ▁be ▁