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Palestine Atlas

Jabalia

Basic Information

Type
City
Governorate
North Gaza
Region
Gaza Strip

Overview

Jabalia is a Palestinian city in northern Gaza, located 4 km north of Gaza City. The municipality includes Jabalia city proper, the Jabalia refugee camp (Palestine's largest), and the town of Nazla. The camp was known as 'the Camp of the Revolution' — a name earned through decades of resistance — and was the spark that ignited the First Intifada in December 1987, when an Israeli military truck plowed into a line of Palestinian workers at the Erez crossing, killing four. The ensuing protests spread across Gaza and the West Bank, launching six years of sustained popular resistance. The area was repeatedly targeted by Israeli military operations: in 1971, Ariel Sharon ordered the demolition of 2,500 homes in the camp, displacing 2,000 families. In 2004, Operation 'Days of Penitence' killed 155 Palestinians in the area. The 2023-2026 war brought total destruction to Jabalia: the camp and city were subjected to sustained bombardment, thousands were killed, and the area was effectively depopulated as residents were forced south or buried under rubble.

Historical Significance

Site of Jabalia refugee camp, Palestine's largest and one of the most densely populated places on Earth; spark of First Intifada December 1987; 'Camp of the Revolution'; repeatedly targeted in Israeli military operations; completely destroyed in 2023-2026 war

Sources and record limitations

Source detail varies by record. Some entries include document and page references; others supply source names only. Check the cited material and the record's limitations before relying on a specific claim.

  • PCBS 2017 Census
  • UNRWA Jabalia Camp Profile
  • UN OCHA Gaza Reports
  • B'Tselem - Home Demolitions in Jabalia 1971
  • Human Rights Watch - Gaza Operations
  • PASSIA - First Intifada Documentation
  • Wikipedia

City and camp must be considered together — they form a continuous urban area. One of the world's most densely populated areas before the war; effectively destroyed in 2023-2026. The 1971 demolitions and 2023-2026 destruction bookend decades of confinement and displacement.