Description

The mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella), known as the true gazelle, the Israeli gazelle, or the Palestine mountain gazelle, is a species with a wide but uneven distribution. As of 2024, there are approximately 6,000 individuals remaining in the wild. Protected under Israeli law, Israel serves as the primary sanctuary for this species in the Levant.

Historically, mountain gazelles roamed across the Levant region. Presently, they are most populous in Israel, with smaller populations also found in the West Bank in Palestine, the Golan Heights, and Turkey. Additionally, isolated groups exist in parts of Jordan and the Gaza Strip, with the possibility of presence in Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria outside of the Golan Heights.

Hussein bin Talal (1935–1999) was King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab–Israeli conflict.