Jabalia

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Jabalia
Arabic	جباليا
Government	Refugee Camp
Also Spelled	Jabalya (officially)
Governorate	North Gaza
Population	176,200 (2006)
Jurisdiction	1,400 dunams (1.4 km²)

Jabalia (Arabic: جباليا‎) is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in existence. The camp had a registered population of 103,646 inhabitants on June 30, 2002, and is located at the northern end of the Gaza Strip, close to the Israeli border and a village with the same name. The camp only covers an area of 1.4 km² making it one of the most densely populated places on earth. The First Intifada in December 1987 began in Jabalia. The camp has been the scene of much violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is also considered a major stronghold of the Hamas movement.

[edit] History

Jabalia is known for its fertile soil and citrus trees. The Mamluk ruler Alam ad-Din Sangar al-Gawli ruled the area in the 1300s and donated land for the Omeri Mosque that anchors the village. No structures from the ancient part of the mosque remain, except the portico and minaret. The rest of the mosque is of modern construction. The portico consists of three arcades supported by four stone columns. The arcades have pointed arches and the portico is covered by crossing vaults. Recently, a cemetery dating to the Byzantine and Roman periods and a mosaic floor of a church dating to the Byzantine period were excavated. The floor is decorated with drawings of wild animals, birds, plants, trees and written scripts.

The name of the village Beit Lahia, located just north of Jabalia, is derived from the Syriac language words for “desert” or “fatigue”. The village is known for its fresh, sweet water, berries and citrus trees. It has an ancient hill and nearby abandoned village ruins. A mihrab, or mosque alcove indicating the direction of salaah (prayer), is all that remains of an ancient mosque to the west of Beit Lahia dating to the Ayubbi period of Saladin, and two other mosques dating to the Ottoman period.

In late 2006 it was the scene of a mass protest against Israeli attacks when a large number of people formed a human shield to protect a house which was about to be demolished by Israeli forces.

[edit] External links

UNRWA Jabalia

v • d • e Cities in the Gaza Strip

Beit Hanoun (بيت حانون) · Beit Lahia (بيت لاهية) · Deir el-Balah (دير البلح) · Gaza (غزة) · Jabalia (جباليا) · Khan Yunis (خان يونس) · Rafah (رفح)

v • d • e

Palestinian exodus · Palestinian refugees¹ · UNRWA

Gaza Strip 986,034 refugees	Jordan 1,827,877 refugees	Lebanon 404,170 refugees	Syria 432,048 refugees	West Bank 699,817 refugees
Beach camp, 76,109 Bureij, 30,059 Deir al-Balah camp, 20,188 Jabalia, 103,646 Khan Yunis, 60,662 Maghazi, 22,536 Nuseirat, 64,233 Rafah camp, 90,638	Amman New Camp, 29,805 Baqa'a, 80,100 Husn, 19,573 Irbid, 23,512 Jabal el-Hussein , 27,674 Jerash, 15,696 Marka, 41,237 Souf, 14,911 Talbieh, 4,041 Zarqa, 17,344	Beddawi, 15,695 Burj el-Barajneh, 19,526 Burj el-Shemali, 18,134 Dbayeh, 4,223 Dikwaneh, destroyed Ein el-Hilweh, 44,133 El-Buss, 9,840 Jisr el-Basha, destroyed Mar Elias, 1,406 Mieh Mieh, 5,078 Nabatieh camp, destroyed in 1973 Nahr el-Bared, 28,358 Rashidieh, 24,679 Sabra Shatila, 11,998 Tel al-Zaatar, destroyed in 1976 Wavel, 7,357	Dera'a, 5,916 Dera'a (Emergency), 5,536 Hama, 7,597 Homs, 13,825 Jaramana, 5,007 Khan Dunoun, 8,603 Khan Eshieh, 15,731 Neirab, 17,994 Qabr Essit, 16,016 Sbeineh, 19,624 Latakia, 6,534 Yarmouk, 112,550 Ein Al-Tal, 4,329	Abu Dis Aida, 3,260 Am'ari, 8,083 Aqabat Jabr, 5,197 Arroub, 9,180 Askar, 13,894 Azaa, 1,828 Balata, 20,681 Deir Ammar, 2,189 Dheisheh, 10,923 Ein Beit al-Ma', 6,221 Ein el-Sultan, 1,888 Far'a, 6,836 Fawwar, 7,072 Jalazone, 9,284 Jenin, 14,050 Kalandia, 9,188 Nur Shams, 8,179 Shu'fat camp, 9,567 Tulkarm, 16,259

¹The UNRWA definition of a "Palestinian refugee" is a person "whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict." "UNRWA's definition of a refugee also covers the descendants of persons who became refugees in 1948." (UNRWA)