Jenin Camp
Jenin Camp (Arabic: مخيم جنين) is a 0.42 sq km Palestinian refugee camp north of the West Bank in the city of Jenin. It was established in 1953 after a snowstorm destroyed most of the original camp.[1][2] The camp was also severely affected during the Second Intifada, when the Israeli Defense Forces occupied the camp in April 2002 after the Battle of Jenin on the grounds that the camp was a hotbed of Palestinian militancy. Over 400 homes were destroyed, and hundreds more were severely damaged.[3] A quarter of the camp's population was homeless and displaced.[4] A UN envoy likened the camp to an earthquake zone.[5]
Jenin Camp | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | مخيّم جنين |
| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • Hebrew | מחנה הפליטים ג'נין |
![]() | |
![]() Jenin Camp Location of Jenin Camp within Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 32°27′41″N 35°17′11″E | |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Jenin Governorate |
| Government | |
| • Type | Refugee camp (from 1953) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 473 dunams (0.42 km2 or 0.16 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 10,986 |
| • Density | 26,000/km2 (68,000/sq mi) |
Palestinian claims that 500 people were killed during the 2002 Israeli invasion were dismissed by a UN report, which supported accounts that stated 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed.[6] Israeli authorities rejected claims that the Israeli Army had committed a massacre in the camp, although they did prevent relief workers and reporters from entering, on the grounds that booby traps rigged by Palestinains were a serious concern. Palestinians later acknowledged that explosives were indeed placed throughout the camp.[7][8]
Both Israeli and Palestinian forces conduct frequent operations in the camp, often resulting in violence. In August 2021, four Palestinian men were killed and a fifth seriously wounded during an Israeli raid by undercover forces, who entered the camp to arrest a Hamas suspect.[9]
The camp has one of the highest rates of unemployment and poverty among the 19 West Bank refugee camps. Many residents previously relied upon work in Israel, which has been severely curtailed since the construction of the Barrier and the implementation of the permit regime.[10] Other issues include high population density and poor sewage networks. [11][12][13]
On 28 September 2022, four Palestinians were killed and 44 others were wounded in an Israeli raid in the camp.[14]
On 26 January 2023, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a raid on the city and refugee camp of Jenin. The IDF said it was acting against a "terror squad belonging to the Islamic Jihad terror organization, which, it said, was "involved in executing and planning multiple major terror attacks, including shooting attacks on IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians".[15] During the raid the IDF forces killed ten Palestinians - seven militants and three civilians.[15][16][17]
See also
- Palestinian refugee camps
- People from Jenin Camp
References
- Tartir, Alaa; Seidel, Timothy (2018-12-22). Palestine and Rule of Power: Local Dissent vs. International Governance. Springer. ISBN 978-3-030-05949-1. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "WestBank Jenin Camp". UNRWA. Archived from the original on 2020-07-08. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
- Israel, the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority Territories Jenin: Idf Military Operations. Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "Jenin Camp". UNRWA. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- "Jenin camp 'horrific beyond belief'". 2002-04-18. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- Bennet, James (2002-08-02). "DEATH ON THE CAMPUS: JENIN; U.N. Report Rejects Claims Of a Massacre Of Refugees". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- Bennet, James (2002-04-13). "MIDEAST TURMOIL: THE OFFENSIVE; Jenin Refugee Camp's Dead Can't Be Counted or Claimed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "Jenin camp situation 'horrendous'". 2002-04-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "Four Palestinians killed in clashes during Israeli raid". BBC News. 2021-08-16. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "Jenin Camp". Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
- Tartir, Alaa; Seidel, Timothy (2018-12-22). Palestine and Rule of Power: Local Dissent vs. International Governance. Springer. ISBN 978-3-030-05949-1. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "Jenin camp braces for defending Gilboa Prison fugitive". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- Alpher, Yossi (2022-02-15). Death Tango: Ariel Sharon, Yasser Arafat, and Three Fateful Days in March. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-6208-8. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "Israeli forces kill four Palestinians, wound dozens in Jenin raid". Al Jazeera. 2022-09-28. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- "Israeli forces kill nine in Jenin clash with Palestinian gunmen, marking West Bank's deadliest day in over a year". CNN. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- "Jenin operation: 'We eliminated a ticking time-bomb' says senior IDF officer". 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- "PA says it is halting security coordination with Israel". 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
External links
- Welcome To Jinin Refugee Camp
- Who Lives In Jenin Refugee Camp?: A Brief Statistical Profile (2002)
- A project aimed at reopening a movie theater for the residents of Jenin and the refugee camp.


