GAZA, (PIC)
The fears of residents and displaced people in the Gaza Strip are escalating with the continuation of Israeli raids on scattered areas of the Strip, coinciding with Israeli statements talking about raising the scope of military control from 60% to 70% of the area of Gaza, which raises an increasing state of anxiety and anticipation among families living in extremely difficult humanitarian and living conditions inside shelter centers and displacement camps.
In the Unknown Soldier camp west of Gaza City, the camp director, Abu Maher, said that the recent wave of Israeli attacks, especially in the Rimal neighborhood, which was previously viewed as one of the relatively safest areas in the Strip, prompted many displaced people to rethink the possibilities of fleeing again.
He explained that families are living under increasing psychological pressure for fear of expanding the scope of military operations, pointing out that many of the displaced no longer have the ability to move again or give up what remains of their few belongings.
He added in statements to Al Jazeera Mubasher, “It has become an obsession for us that we leave this place,” stressing that the current circumstances are “more severe than they were while the war was active.”
Regarding the Israeli statements related to expanding military control, Abu Maher said that the displaced people were pinning hopes on returning to the eastern areas of Gaza, but those hopes receded with the talk of increasing the area of Israeli control.
He added, “We were hoping to return to the eastern areas, now hope has become completely non-existent,” considering that any additional expansion could place the current areas of displacement within the circle of direct danger.
In a scene reflecting the deep psychological impact of the war on children, the child Yazan Talal Al-Basyouni recounted his experience during one of the raids that occurred before Eid al-Adha. He said that he was arranging Eid clothes in preparation for wearing them the next day when the bombing occurred near his place of residence, adding, “I hugged the Eid clothes, fearing for them, and hid them with me.”
When asked about his feelings during the raid, he answered, “I felt as if it was doomsday,” in a description of the state of panic that swept the area and prompted him, along with dozens of residents, to flee.
The child stressed that he fears the return of the war at its previous pace, explaining that what worries him most is the repetition of scenes of displacement, hunger, and bombing, adding, “I hope that the war stops, reconstruction takes place, and I live in my house.”
For his part, the uncle of the child Yazan spoke about the difficult living conditions inside the camp, stressing that families live in a state of permanent fear as a result of repeated raids near places of displacement.
He pointed out that shrapnel and stones flying as a result of the bombing fall on the dilapidated tents, while the suffering of the residents is exacerbated by repeated displacement and deteriorating economic conditions.
He said that merely hearing the sounds of bombing prompts parents to think about the safety of their children, especially in light of the acute shortage of medical services and treatment supplies, and the closure of crossings, adding that many patients do not find the necessary care inside the Strip.
He also explained that security fears have come to greatly restrict the movement of children, as parents have become hesitant even to send their children to nearby shops for fear of being bombed.
He spoke about the worsening of the humanitarian crisis inside the camps after some food aid programs stopped, pointing out that many families were relying mainly on meals provided to the displaced.
He added that the residents also face increasing difficulties in obtaining water, in addition to the spread of rodents and insects inside the camps, as well as the deterioration of health and environmental conditions.
During the past few days, Israeli raids targeted the vicinity of the Unknown Soldier camp, and some of them reached very close distances to the places of residence of the displaced, reinforcing fears of the return of the war at its previous pace.
He explained that the displaced families face accumulated burdens that include hunger, water scarcity, and difficulty in obtaining food and basic services, while the obsession with resuming large-scale military operations remains the biggest concern for residents who are anticipating any developments that might allow them to return to their original areas in the neighborhoods of Shuja’iyya, Beit Hanoun, and other areas of the Gaza Strip.