Fierce battles are taking place between the Israeli army and Hamas fighters in the Jabalia camp and city, north of the Gaza Strip, after Al-Qassam militants managed to kill 15 Israeli forces by detonating two anti-personnel devices.
While Palestinian media said, on Thursday, that an Israeli bombing targeted a medical center in Jabalia, others reported that Israeli bulldozers destroyed graves and exhumed the bodies of the dead, especially the Zaytoun neighborhood, which is its largest neighborhood in terms of area and second in population.
The Israeli army also imposes a security cordon around the camp, which is subject to constant bombardment, and the rains that hit it over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday exacerbated the suffering of its people.
Activists circulated video clips, showing a Palestinian boy pulling out a girl who was martyred in an Israeli bombing, and walking carrying her along a road flooded with water, after the bombing destroyed the sewage system in the area.
The most prominent camps that were bombed in Gaza
What are the most prominent characteristics of Jabalia Camp?
The camp, which was established after the Nakba in 1948, is one of the largest of the eight refugee camps in Gaza, and within the areas of the city of Jabalia. Tens of thousands of its residents lack shelter to protect them from the cold and rain, after schools and shelter areas were targeted. Among its characteristics are:
- Its population is about 59,574 refugees, according to 2023 statistics.
- It is located north of the city of Jabalia, a kilometer away from the main road, “Gaza-Jaffa.”
- It is inhabited by about 114,000 refugees registered with UNRWA.
- It is bordered to the west and south by the villages of Jabalia and Al-Nazla, to the north by Beit Lahia, and to the east by the citrus orchards of the village council of Jabalia, Al-Nazla, and Beit Lahia.
- The most crowded area in Gaza, with an area of no more than 1.4 km.
What is the strategic importance of the city of Jabalia?
According to the Palestinian Memory website, Jabalia is one of the ancient Palestinian cities, and has strategic importance, which is represented in the following:
- It is divided into 3 main areas: the town of Jabalia, Nazla, and Jabalia Camp, in addition to Jabalia Camp.
- Its area is about 18 square kilometers, and its population is 220,000 people, half of whom are camp residents, according to Palestinian estimates.
- It has a long history since the fourth century AD, when the Romans established the village of “Azalea” on part of its lands, which disappeared when they left, and its name changed to Jabalia.
- The streets of Jabalia still contain some remaining stones from old houses, some of which date back to the Ottoman era.
- It is considered the starting point of the revolutions against the Israeli occupation, as the spark of the Stone Intifada began on December 8, 1987, and later extended to all Palestinian territories, giving its camp the name “Revolution Camp.”
- It consists of 8 residential communities: Jabalia Camp, Jabalia City, Al-Nazla, Tal Al-Zaatar, Al-Karama Neighborhood, Ebad Al-Rahman Neighborhood, Al-Zahraa Neighborhood, and Al-Alami Project.
- Its coastal strip on the Mediterranean is approximately 1.5 km long.
- It was named after its mountainous nature, and cities similar to its name include: Jableh in Yemen, and Jableh in Syria.
- It may be a corruption of the Roman Azalea, or from the Syriac Jabaliya, meaning beauty, or from “Gila,” meaning pottery and clay. There are those who say that it is attributed to Jabaliya, who descended it in the late Byzantine era, according to historical sources.
- Among its most famous archaeological landmarks is a Roman cemetery that was uncovered in 1998, dating back to the second century AD, and the Byzantine Church of Jabalia, which was uncovered by chance in 1997, and dates back to the fifth century AD, and it also contains the Al-Omari Mosque, which dates back to the Middle Ages.
Why does Israel want to control Jabalia?
The Israeli army committed several massacres in Jabalia throughout history, including:
- Jabalia massacre in 1967.
- Jabalia massacre in 1968.
- The 1987 massacre that sparked the first intifada.
- Jabalia massacre in 2003.
- The massacre of the 2004 invasion of northern Gaza.
- Jabalia massacre from February 27, 2008 until March 4, 2008.
- Massacres east of Jabalia during the 2009 war.
- Massacres during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” of 2023.
According to the Guardian newspaper, Israeli forces are facing violent battles on the part of the Palestinian resistance that prevent them from controlling Jabalia camp, which is of vital importance due to its proximity to the border with Israel from the Beit Hanoun crossing.
The Times of Israel claims that Jabalia is a Hamas stronghold, and was a major target in the Israeli army’s war against the movement in Gaza.
She adds, “If Israel takes control of Jabalia and Zaytoun, as it plans, then its operation in southern Gaza can be expanded.”
Palestinian military expert, Major General Wassef Erekat, told Sky News Arabia that the name of Jabalia emerges with every round of escalation with Israel, as it is the closest point to the Erez crossing and the area surrounding Gaza, and it is the only outlet for Gazans to Israel.
- Controlling Jabalia and the Zaytoun neighborhood is one of the most difficult tasks for the Israeli army, which admitted to fierce battles with Al-Qassam fighters in those areas.
- The occupation army brought to the vicinity of Jabalia the “162nd Division,” the “401st Armored Brigade,” and the “Nahal Infantry Brigade,” as well as the “551st Reserve Brigade” and other elite forces to try to take control, but it was unable to achieve any notable military achievement in the camp and in all of Gaza. In addition to killing civilians, destroying infrastructure, and demolishing homes.
- Israel claims the presence of Hamas leaders in the camp and the city of Jabalia, claims with no evidence.
- In addition to its invasion of the Gaza Strip without deterrence or oversight, Israel is committing massacres and war crimes against the defenseless residents of the camp.
- Jabalia is one of the poorest areas and the most vulnerable to Israeli invasions and bombings. It is located on the border with Israel, which makes it of great strategic importance.
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2023-12-14 13:25:15
