Under Egyptian control Deir al - Balah was a prosperous agricultural town until its capture by Israel in the Six - Day War .
Deir al - Balah 's population tripled through the influx of refugees from the 1948 Arab - Israeli War .
Under Egyptian control Deir al - Balah , whose population tripled through the influx of refugees from the 1948 Arab - Israeli War , was a prosperous agricultural town until its capture by Israel in the Six - Day War .