Palestinian refugee camps are among the oldest and most evolved protracted displacement contexts. This research unpacks the evolution process of the Palestinian refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. The primary objective of this thesis is to analyse the relationship between the prolonged provision of humanitarian aid, socio-spatial dynamics, and the evolution of refugee camps in two studied camp spaces in the Gaza Strip: The Jabalia and the Deir Al Balah refugee camps.
Combining assemblage thinking and critical realism, this thesis discusses the processes of formation and the causal mechanisms influencing the socio-spatial structures in the studied camps. The analysis borrows from the traditional theorisation of refugee camps as a “state of exception” and builds on the notions of “city-like” camps discussed by contemporary scholars.
This study utilises qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis, and field observations, to triangulate the data and inform the in-depth analysis. Semi-structured interviews are the primary data collection method, allowing for detailed conversations and reflections from participants.
This thesis identifies and analyses socio-spatial paradoxes in the studied camps, developing and introducing the concept of the “state of paradox”. It unpacks the relationship between these various dynamics, fragmented governance, and living conditions. It critically discusses the role of UNRWA as the lead humanitarian agency in the case of Palestinian refugees, examining how its activities over time have contributed to the human development of refugees and the built environments of camps.
This thesis contributes to the broader debates on the evolution of refugee camps in protracted displacement contexts by providing insights from the understudied refugee camp context of the Gaza Strip. It identifies and discusses the determinants of the evolution process of the studied camps from their establishment in 1948 until before the October 2023 war.
