Israeli Military Operation in Jenin Refugee Camp

Why In News?

Recently, Israel launched a military operation in the Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank, resembling wide-scale operations carried out during the second Palestinian uprising (2000-2005).

• The operation aimed to destroy and confiscate weapons and targeted specific militant groups. It involved around 2,000 soldiers and utilized military drones for strikes.
• The Jenin camp has historically been a stronghold for armed struggle against Israeli occupation and a focal point for violence.

What are the Key Points related to Jenin Refugee Camp?

• Jenin Refugee Camp is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the northern West Bank, specifically in the city of Jenin.
• Established in 1953, the camp was created to accommodate Palestinian refugees who were displaced during the 1948 Arab Israeli war, also known as the Nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic).
• The camp has also been a site of frequent clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces over the years.
  • It gained particular attention during the second Palestinian uprising, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000-2005), when it became a stronghold for armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
• Jenin Refugee Camp remains a symbol of the Palestinian refugee issue and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What are the Other Important Places Linked to Israel Palestine Conflict?

• Al Aqsa Mosque:
  • It is one of the holiest structures in the Islamic faith known by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, and by Jews as the Temple Mount.
  • The site is part of the Old City of Jerusalem, sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims.
• Sheikh Jarrah:
  • Sheikh Jarrah is a neighborhood located north of the Old City in East Jerusalem.
    • Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their homes when the State of Israel was created in historical Palestine in 1948.
  • Twenty-eight of those Palestinian families moved to Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem to settle there.
• West Bank:
  • West Bank is a landlocked territory in West Asia. It also contains a significant section of the western Dead Sea.
  • It was captured by Jordan after the Arab-Israeli War (1948) but Israel snatched it back during the Six-Day War of 1967 and has occupied it ever since.
    • The West Bank is sandwiched between Israel and Jordan.
• Gaza Strip:
  • The Gaza Strip is located between Israel and Egypt. Israel occupied the strip after 1967, but relinquished control of Gaza City and day-to-day administration in most of the territory during the Oslo peace process.
  • In 2005, Israel unilaterally removed Jewish settlements from the territory, though it continues to control international access to it.
• Golan Heights:
  • The Golan Heights is a strategic plateau that Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 war. Israel effectively annexed the territory in 1981.
  • In 2017, the USA officially recognized Jerusalem and Golan Heights a part of Israel.

Source: TH