Khan Yunis

Khan Yunis

Khan Yunis is a city/refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics the city, its refugee camp, and its immidiate surroundings had a total populatin of 200,704 in 1997 [1]. Of them, 60,662 are UNRWA registered refugees living in the camp.

An investigation made by UNRWA officials found that 275 civilians and eight UNRWA employees were killed in the camp on November 3, 1956 during the Sinai war. An unknown number of those killed had been summarily executed. After Israel's withdrawal in March, 1957 a mass grave was found at Khan Yunis containing the bodies of forty Arabs that had their hands tied who had been shot in the back of the head. (Michael Palumbo Imperial Israel, p.31,36)

It was the site of Israeli helicopter attacks in August 2001 and October 2002.

Photos: close-up map of Gaza