Al-Shati refugee camp

History

Al-Shati was established in 1948 for about 23,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled by Zionist militias from the cities of Jaffa, Lod, and Beersheba as well as surrounding villages during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

In 1971, Israeli authorities demolished over 2,000 shelters for the purpose of widening the roads for security reasons. About 8,000 refugees were forced to leave the camp to the nearby housing project in Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City.

In 2023, Al-Shati was hit by multiple airstrikes during the Gaza war. On November 10, during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Israel Defense Forces said they had killed around 150 Hamas militants during battles in the Al-Shati area. In November 2023 the Israel Defense Forces took control of the camp completely.

Economy

Before September 2000, when Israel closed off its border with the Gaza Strip due to the violence of the Second Intifada, the majority of al-Shati's work force were laborers in Israel or worked in agriculture. Today, some refugees work in workshops and sewing factories. A sizable number of the camp's 2453 families depend on fishing for income. It contains a sewage system, a health center, and 23 schools (17 primary, 6 secondary).

People from Al-Shati

• Ismail Haniyeh, de facto Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority
• Rashid Masharawi, filmmaker
• Said Seyam, assassinated Interior Minister of the Palestinian National Authority based in Gaza
• Fadel al-Utol, Palestinian archaeologist
• Mosab Abu Toha, poet

References

References

1. (February 2018). "Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017". [[State of Palestine]].
2. [https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip/beach-camp Beach Camp] [[United Nations Relief and Works Agency]] (UNRWA)
3. "The battle of northern Gaza is almost over". [[The Economist]].
4. [http://www.badil.org/Publications/badil-nakba-60-info-packet/maps/population-camps-2007.pdf Badil] {{webarchive. link. (2012-02-16 During the 1970s, the Israeli military administration destroyed thousands of refugee shelters in the occupied Gaza Strip under the guise of security. Large refugee camps were targeted in particular. Refugees were forcefully resettled in other areas of the occupied Gaza Strip, with a smaller number transferred to the occupied West Bank. In the occupied Gaza Strip, several housing projects were established for these refugees. Some of these projects today are referred to as camps. These include the Canada project (1972), the Shuqairi project (1973), the Brazil project (1973), the Sheikh Radwan project (1974), and the al-Amal project (1979).)
5. [http://www.pij.org/details.php?id=599 Palestine Israel Journal] Refugee Resettlement: The Gaza Strip Experience by Norma Masriyeh
6. [http://www.badil.org/Publications/Bulletins/Bulletin-19.htm Badil] {{Webarchive. link. (2009-02-27 The Continuing Catastrophe --1967 and beyond)
7. Fabian, Emanuel. (2023-11-10). "IDF says troops captured key Hamas strongholds in Gaza City today, killing 150 terrorists".
8. (2023-11-14). "Israeli military says it has taken control of Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza".