Apache Camel is an open source framework for integration patterns and enterprise application integration (EAI). It allows developers to implement routing and mediation logic in a declarative manner using domain-specific languages (DSLs). Camel supports over 200 integration endpoints including JMS, HTTP, file systems, and databases. It aims to provide a simpler approach to connectivity between applications compared to traditional EAI solutions. Camel routes can be configured to transform and process incoming messages, facilitating integration between disparate systems. The framework also supports deployment on servers, OSGi containers, and cloud platforms.