Sabra
صبرا | |
---|---|
neighboorhood, de facto refugee camp | |
Country | Lebanon |
City | Beirut |
Municipality | Ghobeiry |
Governorate | Mount Lebanon |
Sabra (Arabic: صبرا) is a neighborhood in southern Beirut, Lebanon,[1] which falls under the municipality of Ghobeiry, Mount Lebanon Governorate.[2][3] It is populated by both Lebanese and Palestinian refugees.[4][5]
Even with its large percentage of Palestinian residents, it is not officially considered a refugee camp, but its association with the nearby Shatila camp, which exclusively populated by refugees,[6] leads to the impression that it is.[7] Together they are known for being the site of the Sabra and Shatila massacre and the War of the Camps in the 1980s. They were besieged for three days by the Israeli army during their invasion of Lebanon.[6] During this siege,[8][1] a large number of residents were abducted by right-wing militia from their neighborhood and were taken to the Shatila camp, where the lives of between 800 and 2000 civilians were claimed.[1][8]
The Sabra district is bordered by the city of Beirut to the north, the Sports City to the west,[2] the Horsh Beirut to the east, and Shatila camp to the south.[9]