Nuseirat Camp
مخيّم النصيرات
Refugee camp
Coordinates31°26′51″N 34°23′34″E
StateState of Palestine
GovernorateDeir al-Balah
ControlHamas
Unit prefdunam
Population total31,747
Population as of2024

Nuseirat Camp (Arabic: مخيّم النصيرات) is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip,[1] five kilometers north-east of Deir al-Balah. The refugee camp is in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the refugee camp had a population of 31,747 and the surrounding Nuseirat municipality had a population of 54,851 in 2017.[2] The camp was established after the 1948 Palestinian expulsion during the 1948 Palestine war.

History

Ancient history

The Nuseirat camp was named after the local Nuseirat tribe, part of the larger Hanajira confederation, that historically dominated the area between Deir al-Balah and Gaza. Excavations in the area have revealed remains of a large coenobium, including a church with a crypt, a bathhouse and a hospice, reminiscent of the monastery of Martyrius at Ma'ale Adummim. The side has been tentatively identified as that of the monastery of Seridus.[3][4]

Origin of the refugee camp

The camp was established after the 1948 Palestinian expulsion during the 1948 Palestine war. Most refugees of this camp came from the southern areas of Palestine such as Beersheba and the coastal plain. Prior to the camp's establishment by UNRWA, the roughly 16,000 original refugees settled in the grounds of a former British military prison at the site.[5]

2000s

In May 2018 a mosque, the Grand Nuseirat Mosque, was opened by the Qatari envoy to Gaza, Mohammed Al Emadi.[6]

Gaza war

Main articles: Attacks on refugee camps in the Gaza war#Nuseirat and Nuseirat rescue and massacre
See also: Al-Sardi school attack

The Nuseirat refugee camp has been bombed repeatedly since the start of the Gaza war. On 18 October 2023 the Grand Nuseirat Mosque was bombed and destroyed by Israeli airstrikes,[7] subsequently the attacks continued causing more than a hundred victims.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

On 8 June 2024, the IDF and Yamam rescued four Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Nuseirat, including Noa Argamani, during a rescue operation.[25][26] An IDF spokesperson claimed that the hostages were guarded by armed militants and concealed among Gazan civilians. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 wounded in the Israeli airstrikes on the refugee camp, causing international outrage and the attack deemed a massacre.[27][28] The operation took place in two sites in Nuseirat, where the hostages were kept, a school and a marketplace.[29][30]

The IDF killed at least 10 civilians and injured at least 16 in a missile strike on a water distribution point on July 13, 2025.[31][32] Six of the dead and seven of the wounded were children.[31][32] The Israeli military stated the missile missed its intended target dozens of meters because of a "technical error".[32]

Population

Census yearPopulation[33]
200728,093
201731,747

See also

References

  1. ^ "Nuseirat Camp". Archived 2019-06-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  2. ^ Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017. State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Archived 2023-07-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  3. ^ Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene L. (2019). "The Archaeology of Early Monastic Communities". The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Archaeology. Oxford University Press. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-19-936904-1. Archived 6 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  4. ^ Hirschfeld, Yizhar (1 January 2004). "The Monasteries of Gaza: an archaeological review". Christian Gaza In Late Antiquity. BRILL. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-90-04-13868-1. Archived 6 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Nuseirat refugee camp". UNRWA. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Ambassador Al Emadi Opens Grand Nuseirat Mosque in Gaza Strip". Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2 May 2018. Archived 17 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Bombing Worshippers Inside a Mosque in Gaza – PHOTOS". Palestine Chronicle. 19 October 2023. Archived 18 April 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  8. ^ "'Bombings everywhere': No escape for Gaza's displaced". France 24. Archived 2024-04-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  9. ^ "Israeli bombing of Nuseirat refugee camp targets homes of medical staff". Middle East Eye. Archived 2024-01-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  10. ^ "Israeli attack kills 13 in Nuseirat refugee camp: Wafa". Al Jazeera. Archived 6 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  11. ^ "At least 65 Palestinians killed in intensified Israeli attacks on central, southern Gaza". Xinhua. Archived 25 March 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Putin lands in Saudi Arabia to discuss conflict; 'heightened risk of atrocity crimes' in Gaza, says top UN official". The Guardian. Archived 17 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Several killed in Israeli attacks in Nuseirat, Rafah and Deir el-Balah: Reports". Al Jazeera. Archived 6 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Several killed in Nuseirat, Khan Younis". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Nuseirat attack survivor says house had more than 50 people inside". Al Jazeera. Archived 25 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Israeli bombing kills at least 18 Palestinians in Nuseirat camp: Wafa". Al Jazeera. Archived 23 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Multiple casualties reported in Israeli strike on central Gaza refugee camp". Al Jazeera. Archived 5 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Dozens killed in new Israeli strikes on Gaza". Al Jazeera. Archived 25 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Israeli air attack on car in Nuseirat refugee camp kills five people". Al Jazeera. Archived 25 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  20. ^ "New Israeli attack on Nuseirat refugee camp". Al Jazeera. Archived 21 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Seven killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza". Al Jazeera. Archived 5 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Several Palestinians killed in Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat refugee camp". Al Jazeera. Archived 25 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Gaza: drone footage shows aftermath of strike on Nuseirat refugee camp – video". the Guardian. 2023-10-18. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived 2024-02-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  24. ^ "Four children killed in Israeli strikes targeting a residential square in central Gaza". Archived 2024-05-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  25. ^ "Four hostages seized at Nova festival freed in Gaza raid". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  26. ^ Hjelmgaard, Kim; Tran, Ken; Santucci, Jeanine (2024-06-08). "Noa Argamani among 4 hostages rescued from Gaza, Israeli forces say: live updates". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  27. ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma (9 June 2024). "Outrage over 'massacre' in Gaza as Israel rescued four hostages". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  28. ^ "IDF faces increased scrutiny as more details come out in wake of deadly hostage rescue". NBC News. 2024-06-15. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  29. ^ "Israel kills more than 200 in attack on central Gaza: Gov't Media Office". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  30. ^ Lubell, Maayan & Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (June 8, 2024). "Israel rescues four hostages in Gaza; Hamas says 210 Palestinians killed in Israeli assault". Reuters
  31. ^ Balmer, Crispian (2025-07-13). "Israeli missile hits Gaza children collecting water, IDF blames malfunction". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
  32. ^ Abualouf, Rushdi (2025-07-13). "Gaza officials say children killed in strike as Israeli military admits 'error'". BBC Home. Retrieved 2025-07-13.
  33. ^ "An-Nusayrat Camp (Dayr al-Balah, Gasa-Streifen, Palästinensische Gebiete) - Einwohnerzahlen, Grafiken, Karte, Lage, Wetter und Web-Informationen". www.citypopulation.de. Archived 2024-01-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-25.