Khan Yunis refugee camp

Khan Yunis refugee camp (Arabic: مخيم خان يونس), also spelled Khan Younis, is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Khan Yunis Governorate just west of the city of Khan Yunis and two kilometers east of the Mediterranean coast in the southern Gaza Strip. While UNRWA states that there were approximately 72,000 Palestinian refugees living in the camp in 2010,[1] the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics recorded a population of 37,705 in the 2007 census.[2]

Khan Yunis refugee camp
Refugee Camp
Arabic transcription(s)
• Arabic	مخيم خان يونس
• Latin	Khan Younis Camp (official)
Khan Yunis refugee camp Location of Khan Yunis refugee within Palestine
Coordinates: 31°21′3″N 34°17′18″E
State	State of Palestine
Governorate	Khan Yunis
Founded	1948
Government
• Type	Refugee Camp
Population  (2007)
• Total	37,705

Khan Yunis Camp was established after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, accommodating roughly 35,000 Palestinian refugees, who fled or were expelled by Zionist militias from their homes. On 3 November 1956, the camp and city of Khan Yunis were occupied by the Israel Defense Forces. In the ensuing operation, about 275 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, including 140 refugees from the camp, in what became known as the Khan Yunis massacre. Residents state that most of the casualties occurred after hostilities had ended, with the army searching houses for suspected armed men. However, Israeli authorities stated the casualties were a result of resistance by the camp's residents.[3]

According to UNRWA, many of the camp's residents have lost their homes as a result of operations by the Israeli military. UNRWA began reconstruction efforts in the early 2000s, but work has largely been halted due to the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas takeover of the territory. UNRWA say that at least 10,000 homes need to be constructed.[1]