ABOUT THOSE PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMPS

Israel attacks Palestinian refugees in their 'camps'

 

By Howie Katz 

          This is what people believe a refugee camp looks like

 

The media repeatedly reports about Israeli air strikes on Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza and ground attacks on Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank. Yes, it's not fake news, but the 'camps' attacked by Israel are not what people picture them to be.

The Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza and the West Bank are really cities within a city

Palestinian children walk through a flooded street following heavy rain in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on Nov. 8, 2022

A drone image shows Palestinian homes and buildings in al-Shati refugee camp, in Gaza City, April 6, 2021          The Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Note the abundance of satellite dishes.

 

These 'camps' contain not only homes, but also the kind of businesses you'd expect to find in any city of several thousand people. While many residents  of the camps live in squalor, you will also find quite a few prosperous people therein.  And you will also find many cars in the camps.

 

The Jenin camp is also home to the Lions' Den, a well-armed terrorist militia which has attacked Israeli soldiers and civilians.

A show of force by Lions’ Den “resistance” gunmen in September 2022.

 

So when Israeli security forces attack the Jenin refugee camp, they are fighting well-armed terrorists, not innocent civilians. And when the IDF bombs the refugee camps in Gaza, they are targeting Hamas terrorists, not innocent civilians.

When the media reports that Israel has attacked Palestinian refugee camps, please note that those attacks are against cities and not against refugees living in camps full of tents.

As for the term 'Palestinian refugees', that is also very misleading. The Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan ceased being refugees dozens of years ago. The residents in the Palestinian refugee camps are descendants of refugees, but far from being refugees themselves.