Nuseirat refugee camp

Nuseirat camp
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicمخيّم النصيرات
Map of the camp, as well as the two other adjacent camps of Bureij and Maghazi
Map of the camp, as well as the two other adjacent camps of Bureij and Maghazi
Nuseirat camp is located in State of Palestine
Nuseirat camp
Nuseirat camp
Location of Nuseirat camp within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°26′51″N 34°23′34″E / 31.44750°N 34.39278°E / 31.44750; 34.39278
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateDeir al-Balah
Government
 • TypeRefugee Camp
Population
 (2024)[1]
 • Total31,747
 Population total includes both the camp population and the population of the Nuseirat municipality

Nuseirat (Arabic: مخيّم النصيرات) is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip,[2] five kilometers north-east of Deir al-Balah. The refugee camp is in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the refugee camp had a population of 31,747 and the surrounding Nuseirat municipality had a population of 54,851 in 2017.[1] The camp was established after the 1948 Palestinian expulsion during the 1948 Palestine war.

History

Ancient history

The Nuseirat camp was named after the local Nuseirat tribe, part of the larger Hanajira confederation, that historically dominated the area between Deir al-Balah and Gaza. Excavations in the area have revealed remains of a large coenobium, including a church with a crypt, a bathhouse and a hospice, reminiscent of the monastery of Martyrius at Ma'ale Adummim. The side has been tentatively identified as that of the monastery of Seridus.[3][4]

Origin of the refugee camp

The camp was established after the 1948 Palestinian expulsion during the 1948 Palestine war. Most refugees of this camp came from the southern areas of Palestine such as Beersheba and the coastal plain. Prior to the camp's establishment by UNRWA, the roughly 16,000 original refugees settled in the grounds of a former British military prison at the site.[5]

2000s

In May 2018 a mosque, the Grand Nuseirat Mosque, was opened by the Qatari envoy to Gaza, Mohammed Al Emadi.[6]

Israel–Hamas war

The Nuseirat refugee camp has been bombed repeatedly since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. On 18 October 2023 the Grand Nuseirat Mosque was bombed and destroyed by Israeli airstrikes,[7] subsequently the attacks continued causing more than a hundred victims.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

On 8 June 2024, the IDF and Yamam rescued four Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Nuseirat, including Noa Argamani, during a rescue operation.[25][26] An IDF spokesperson stated that the hostages were guarded by armed militants and concealed among Gazan civilians. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 wounded in the Israeli airstrikes on the refugee camp, causing international outrage and the attack deemed a massacre.[27][28] The operation took place in two sites in Nuseirat, where the hostages were kept, a school and a marketplace.[29][30]

Population

Census year Population[31]
2007 28.093
2017 31.747


References

  1. ^ 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. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  2. ^ "Nuseirat Camp". Archived from the original on 2019-06-16. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  3. ^ Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene L. (2019). "The Archaeology of Early Monastic Communities". In Pettegrew, David K.; Caraher, William R.; Davis, Thomas W. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Archaeology. Oxford University Press. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-19-936904-1. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  4. ^ Hirschfeld, Yizhar (1 January 2004). "The Monasteries of Gaza: an archaeological review". In Bitton-Ashkelony, Brouria; Kofsky, Arieh (eds.). Christian Gaza In Late Antiquity. BRILL. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-90-04-13868-1. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Nuseirat refugee camp". UNRWA. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Ambassador Al Emadi Opens Grand Nuseirat Mosque in Gaza Strip". Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Bombing Worshippers Inside a Mosque in Gaza – PHOTOS". Palestine Chronicle. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  8. ^ "'Bombings everywhere': No escape for Gaza's displaced". France 24. Archived from the original on 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  9. ^ "Israeli bombing of Nuseirat refugee camp targets homes of medical staff". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  10. ^ "Israeli attack kills 13 in Nuseirat refugee camp: Wafa". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  11. ^ "At least 65 Palestinians killed in intensified Israeli attacks on central, southern Gaza". Xinhua. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Putin lands in Saudi Arabia to discuss conflict; 'heightened risk of atrocity crimes' in Gaza, says top UN official". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Several killed in Israeli attacks in Nuseirat, Rafah and Deir el-Balah: Reports". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Several killed in Nuseirat, Khan Younis". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Nuseirat attack survivor says house had more than 50 people inside". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Israeli bombing kills at least 18 Palestinians in Nuseirat camp: Wafa". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Multiple casualties reported in Israeli strike on central Gaza refugee camp". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Dozens killed in new Israeli strikes on Gaza". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Israeli air attack on car in Nuseirat refugee camp kills five people". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  20. ^ "New Israeli attack on Nuseirat refugee camp". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Seven killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Several Palestinians killed in Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat refugee camp". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Gaza: drone footage shows aftermath of strike on Nuseirat refugee camp – video". the Guardian. 2023-10-18. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2024-02-05. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  24. ^ "Four children killed in Israeli strikes targeting a residential square in central Gaza". Archived from the original on 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  25. ^ "Four hostages seized at Nova festival freed in Gaza raid". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  26. ^ Hjelmgaard, Kim; Tran, Ken; Santucci, Jeanine (2024-06-08). "Noa Argamani among 4 hostages rescued from Gaza, Israeli forces say: live updates". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  27. ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma (9 June 2024). "Outrage over 'massacre' in Gaza as Israel rescued four hostages". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  28. ^ "IDF faces increased scrutiny as more details come out in wake of deadly hostage rescue". NBC News. 2024-06-15. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  29. ^ "Israel kills more than 200 in attack on central Gaza: Gov't Media Office". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  30. ^ Lubell, Maayan; Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (June 8, 2024). "Israel rescues four hostages in Gaza; Hamas says 210 Palestinians killed in Israeli assault". Reuters.
  31. ^ "An-Nusayrat Camp (Dayr al-Balah, Gasa-Streifen, Palästinensische Gebiete) - Einwohnerzahlen, Grafiken, Karte, Lage, Wetter und Web-Informationen". www.citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-01-25.