Deir al-Balah Camp
Deir al-Balah Camp | ||
---|---|---|
Governorate Deir al-Balah | | |
Government | ||
• Type | Refugee Camp | |
Area | ||
• Total | 160 dunams (0.16 km2 or 0.06 sq mi) | |
Population (2017)[1] | ||
• Total | 6,985 | |
• Density | 44,000/km2 (110,000/sq mi) |
Deir al-Balah Camp (
History
Originally, the camp housed 9,000 refugees in tents and then mud-brick structures, which were replaced with cement block structures in the early 1960s.[2] The current population is about twice that of the original refugee population, most of whom are now dead.
The original residents of the camp, as with most other Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, came from villages and towns in central and southern pre-1948 Palestine.[2]
Before the 2005 implementation of
In late 1997, the Palestinian National Authority demolished several buildings in Deir al-Balah Camp in order to extend the main coastal road between the town and the Mediterranean Sea.[3] Several families were given small plots of land and some financial compensation in order to build new homes outside the settlement.[3]
There was no sewage system in the original camp; Palestinian-managed UNRWA constructed one in 1998 with financial assistance from Japan. In the permanent settlement there are eight Palestinian managed UNRWA schools—six elementary and two preparatory—serving about 8,000 students.[2]
Most residents had worked as laborers in Israel before the beginning of the Second Intifada. A minority of residents have also worked as local farm laborers.[2]
Events during Second Intifada
Throughout the Second Intifada, Deir al-Balah Camp was the site of several Israeli military incursions:[4][5]
In May 2001 a funeral for four-month-old Iman Hejjo, killed by shrapnel during an Israeli attack on
According to the
Residents of Deir al-Balah Camp have also been involved in attempted attacks on Israeli settlements. On 22 November 2003, 24-year-old resident of the camp, Muhammad Suleiman Khalil Sarsur, was killed by Israeli security forces while attempting to infiltrate the
References
- ^ a b Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ ISBN 1-56656-557-X.
- ^ a b c d "Deir al-Balah camp". UNRWA. 31 March 2005. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "The Palestinians challenge Israel's attempts to break into Deir al-Balah and al-Khalil". ArabicNews.com. 25 August 2001. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "US calls on Israel to withdraw". BBC News Online. 28 August 2001. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
- ^ "Mideast Deaths Continue". One News. Reuters. 8 May 2001. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "Martyrs List in Al-Aqsa Intifada". Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group. 29 September 2002. Archived from the original on 31 May 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ Btselem. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
External links
- Welcome To Dayr al-Balah R.C.
- Gaza Refugee Camp Profiles, UNWRA, 31 March 2006.
- Profile of Deir el-Balah camp by UNRWA
- Deir El-Balah, articles from UNWRA
- Map of Deir al-Balah governorate showing camp's location Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine