The number and territorial extent of the districts varied over time, as did their subdivision into sub-districts.

They were aided by a district officer, who was typically either Jewish or Arab, based on the ethnic make-up of the sub-district.

[2] During the Ottoman period, Palestine was divided into different provinces, each centered around a main city: Safed, Acre, Nablus, Jerusalem and Gaza.

[4] At the start of 1920 there were 9 districts: Jerusalem, Jaffa, Hebron, Jenin, Safed, Acre, Tiberias, Tulkarem and Beersheba,[5] but this division was modified by the following month to Jerusalem, Haifa, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Safed, Acre, Tiberias, Galilee, Tulkarem and Beersheba.

In September 1920, the districts were Jerusalem, Galilee, Phoenicia (formerly Haifa), Samaria, Jaffa, Gaza and Beersheva.

[21] This division was retained by the State of Israel until 1953, where district boundaries were redrawn to their modern form.