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People group profile · PG042746

The Palestinian Arabs of Iraq

The Palestinian Arabs of Iraq, numbering about 22,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Palestinian Arab refugee community in Iraq descended mainly from families displaced from Palestine who settled there after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, with later arrivals following the 1967 war while maintaining a distinct Palestinian identity.

They are a diaspora people in the Arab, Levant people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Levantine Arabic.

Pray for the Palestinian ArabsPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Palestinian Arabs people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Arab, Palestinian

Fast facts

Country
Iraq
Population
22,500
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Arab, Levant
Primary language
Levantine Arabic (apc)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Western Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Palestinian Arabs are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Palestinian Arabs

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

93% adherents

Primary language

Levantine Arabic · Afro-Asiatic family

100% speak Levantine Arabic

Gospel resources in Levantine Arabic

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Palestinian Arabs

  1. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  2. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  3. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  4. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.

Download a prayer guide

Arab, Palestinian in other countries

The same people (ROP3 107785) is reported in 20 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
West Bank ArabsPalestine3,425,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsJordan2,670,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsIsrael1,825,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsLebanon670,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsSyria566,000Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsSaudi Arabia462,000Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsQatar380,000Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsEgypt147,000Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsUnited States136,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsKuwait72,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsUnited Arab Emirates66,000Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsCanada48,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsLibya36,000Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsYemen35,500Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsEritrea22,000Unengaged and Unreached
Palestinian ArabsHonduras21,000Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsPanama9,700No Longer Unreached
Palestinian ArabsGuatemala1,900Engaged yet Unreached
Palestinian ArabsEl Salvador1,300No Longer Unreached
Palestinian ArabsFrance1,100Unengaged and Unreached

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