Askar Camp
{{Short description|Palestinian refugee camp in the Palestinian city of Nablus}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{pp-30-500|small=yes}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Askar Camp
| translit_lang1 = Arabic
| translit_lang1_type = Arabic
| translit_lang1_info = مخيم عسكر
| type = Refugee Camp
| image_skyline = AskarDeirElHatib5571.JPG
| image_caption = Askar
| pushpin_map = Palestine
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Askar Camp within Palestine
| image_map =
| map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|32|13|11.51|N|35|17|50.77|E|region:PS|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Palestine grid
| grid_position =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Palestine}}
| subdivision_type1 = Governorate
| subdivision_name1 = Nablus
| established_title = Founded
| established_date =
| government_footnotes =
| government_type = Refugee Camp (from 1950)
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| unit_pref = dunam
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 0.119
| area_total_dunam = 119
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| elevation_min_m =
| elevation_max_m =
| population_footnotes = {{cite report |date=February 2018 |title=Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 |url=https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Downloads/book2364-1.pdf |department=Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) |publisher=State of Palestine |pages=64–82 |access-date=2023-10-24}}
| population_total = 11304
| population_as_of = 2017
| population_note =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Askar ({{langx|ar|مخيم عسكر}}) is a Palestinian refugee camp. It is located on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus and was established in 1950 on 119 dunums of land. Residents of the camp refer to this as “New Askar”.{{cite web
|url = https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/west-bank/askar-camp
|title = ASKAR REFUGEE CAMP
|access-date = 8 July 2020
|work = United Nations Relief and Works Agency
}}
History
= Ancient period =
Askar is identified with Ein Sukkar, an ancient settlement featured in the Mishnah and Talmud, as well as in the New Testament. Thanks to its fertility, the Ein Sukkar Valley is mentioned in Rabbinic literature as a place from which the grain was brought as a wave offering to the Temple when no barley was found in a place closer to Jerusalem.{{Cite book |first=Jacob |last=Neusner |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1109783020 |title=The Mishnah |date=1999 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-29411-0 |chapter=Menahot 10:2 |oclc=1109783020}} In later years, a Samaritan settlement was established on the site; according to ancient Samaritan writings, the town was inhabited by Samaritan High Priests.Conder, 1876, p. [https://archive.org/stream/quarterlystateme07pale#page/196/mode/1up 196] A Samaritan mausoleum, still in use during the fourth century CE, was found at the site.
The name Askar preserves the ancient name of Ein Sukkar.{{Cite journal |last=ברקאי |first=רחל |date=1989 |title=סרקופגים שומרוניים מן התקופה הרומית בארץ-ישראל |trans-title=SAMARITAN SARCOPHAGI OF THE ROMAN PERIOD IN ERETZ ISRAEL |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23402075 |journal=קתדרה: לתולדות ארץ ישראל ויישובה |language=Hebrew |pages=70|jstor=23402075 }}
Schenke believed that Askar was first settled during the early Iron Age.{{Citation |last=Schenke |first=H.M.|editor-first1=Gesine |editor-first2=Gesa |editor-first3=Uwe-Karsten |editor-last1=Schenke Robinson |editor-last2=Schenke |editor-last3=Plisch | author-link =Hans-Martin Schenke |title=Jakobsbrunnen – Josephsgrab – Sychar. Topographische Untersuchungen und Erwägungen in der Perspektive von Joh 4,5.6 |date=2012-01-01 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004226241_016 |work=Deutschen Palastina-Vereins |volume=LXXXIV |pages=164–166; 181–184 |publisher= |doi=10.1163/9789004226241_016 |isbn=978-90-04-22624-1 |access-date=}} However, Campbell dated the settlement to the Hellenistic period.{{Cite book |last=E.F. |first=Campbell |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/644945984 |title=Shechem II: Portrait of a Hill Country Vale: the Shechem Regional Survey |date=1991 |publisher=Scholars Press |isbn=1-55540-642-4 |pages=21–23 |oclc=644945984}}
= Modern history =
During the Second Intifada and 2002 Operation Defensive Shield, camps such as Askar were a source of considerable activity from Palestinian militants. IDF incursions are still common in Askar refugee camp and are generally conducted for the purposes of interrogating individuals or arresting suspected militants who Israeli authorities consider to be affiliated with listed terrorist organisations.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
The UNRWA has several installations in Askar refugee camp including schools and health clinics. In addition to these, the camp has several of its own community centers including the Center of Peace and Development located in New Askar. International volunteer work camps are run at the center annually which are hosted by the An-Najah National University.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
According to the PCBC, the population of the camp is 11,304.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/_Askar_R_C__2209/index.html Welcome To 'Askar R.C.]
- [http://www.unrwa.org/tags.php?tag_id=29 Askar], UNWRA
- [http://vprofile.arij.org/nablus/pdfs/vprofile/Nablus%20city_vp_en.pdf Nablus City Profile], Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem, ARIJ
- [http://vprofile.arij.org/nablus/pdfs/needsfordevelopment/Nablus_Needs_EN.pdf Development Priorities and Needs in Nablus], ARIJ
{{Palestinian refugee camps}}
{{Nablus Governorate}}
Category:Populated places established in 1950
Category:1950 establishments in the West Bank Governorate
Category:Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank
Category:Ancient Samaritan settlements
Category:Nablus in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
{{Palestine-geo-stub}}