Khan Yunis refugee camp
Refugee Camp
Arabic transcription(s)
 • Arabicمخيم خان يونس
 • LatinKhan Younis Camp (official)
Khan Yunis refugee camp is located in State of Palestine
Khan Yunis refugee camp
Khan Yunis refugee camp
Location of Khan Yunis refugee within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°20′54″N 34°17′38″E / 31.34833°N 34.29389°E / 31.34833; 34.29389
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateKhan Yunis
Founded1948
Government
 • TypeRefugee Camp
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total41,182

Khan Yunis refugee camp (Arabic: مخيم خان يونس), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Khan Yunis Governorate just west of the city of Khan Yunis and two kilometers east of the Mediterranean coast in the southern Gaza Strip. While UNRWA states that there were approximately 72,000 Palestinian refugees living in the camp in 2010,[2] the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics recorded a population of 41,182 in the 2017 census.[1]

The Khan Yunis refugee camp was established after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, accommodating roughly 35,000 Palestinian refugees, who fled or were expelled by Zionist militias from their homes. On 3 November 1956, the camp and city of Khan Yunis were occupied by the Israel Defense Forces. In the ensuing operation, about 275 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, including 140 refugees from the camp, in what became known as the Khan Yunis massacre. Residents state that most of the casualties occurred after hostilities had ended, with the army searching houses for suspected armed men. However, Israeli authorities stated the casualties were a result of resistance by the camp's residents.[3]

According to UNRWA, many of the camp's residents have lost their homes as a result of operations by the Israeli military. UNRWA began reconstruction efforts in the early 2000s, but work has largely been halted due to the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas takeover of the territory. UNRWA say that at least 10,000 homes need to be constructed.[2]

Notable residents

References

  1. 1 2 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 2023-10-24.
  2. 1 2 Khan Younis Refugee Camp Profile. UNRWA. 2010.
  3. ↑ Special Report of the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Covering the period 1 November 1956 to mid-December 1956 Archived 4 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. UNISPAL. 1956-12-15.
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