The south of the Gaza Strip is becoming busier by the hour – and more hostile to life. About a million people have fled the north in recent days. Those affected and aid organizations report a life-threatening emergency on site.
Abu Ahmed arrived with his family at the Rafah refugee camp in the south of the Gaza Strip three days ago. “The situation is bad and getting worse. Two people share a bed and there are few blankets,” said the 60-year-old on Monday, who lives further away from Beit Lahia in the northern part of the coastal area.
A loaf of bread – for everyone
On the day of arrival, the Palestinian aid organization UNRWA gave everyone a loaf of bread, a box of meat for two people and a kilo of dates for ten people. Now he is looking for bread. Ahmed fled with five of his children, their wives and seventeen grandchildren.
According to the United Nations, the Palestinian is one of about a million people who responded to Israel’s call to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip. For many, it was a dangerous escape into homelessness.
The sound of war
Imad Saidam and his family are currently sleeping on the floor in front of an overcrowded UNRWA school. Eyes continue to move upwards. Because today danger comes from heaven. Israel has been bombing the entire Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack on October 7 – continuously. Buildings collapsing, bombs exploding, panicked screams. These are now everyday sounds for the locals.
Photographer Samar Abu Elouf reports on location for the New York Times. She says: Many children could tell what kind of plane is flying above them or what bomb has just exploded. These are ‘all too familiar sounds of war’. And the situation is becoming more and more unbearable.
Saidam reports that hygienic conditions are poor. There is no water to flush after going to the toilet. “We left everything behind, the house and the memories,” says the Palestinian. “We have escaped death, but where we are now there is no life either.” People drink brackish water from agricultural wells, raising concerns about the spread of disease.
No water, no electricity, no survival
After the massacre of Israeli civilians by Hamas, Israel closed off the entire Gaza Strip from the rest of the world. There is no more water coming from the pipes and no electricity from the sockets. On the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, trucks full of aid are ready to provide people with the most necessary items. But the gates have remained closed until now.
The Rafah crossing is the only border crossing not controlled exclusively by Israel. Foreign passport holders waited in vain for passage on Monday for the third day in a row.
The Middle East is “on the brink of the abyss,” UN Secretary General António Guterres warned on Sunday. France and Egypt, meanwhile, called for the border crossing to be opened to allow aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip and the departure of foreigners from the Palestinian territory. “Those who want to leave Gaza must be able to do so,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Monday during a visit to Cairo.
Michael Capponi, the head of the aid group Global Empowerment Mission, which has been stockpiling aid on the Egyptian side of the border, said Monday morning that the border crossing would open “most likely in the coming days.” The authorities have assured him this. First, it must be ensured that the trucks are properly controlled so that weapons do not end up in Hamas’ hands. “I think that’s the biggest problem.”
Hospitals are running out of fuel
But time is running out. The situation seems hopeless, especially in hospitals. Fuel reserves at all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are expected to last only about 24 hours, the United Nations Humanitarian Office (OCHA) said on Monday. The only power plant in the Gaza Strip was closed due to a lack of fuel. CNN reports that five tankers from Israel headed to the south of the Gaza Strip. But this has not been confirmed.
One thing is certain: the lives of thousands of patients are at stake. Hussam Abu Safiya, head of a children’s clinic in northern Gaza, told the AP news agency that it would be impossible to move south. There are seven newborns in intensive care who are connected to ventilators. An evacuation would “mean death for her and other patients in our care.”
Meanwhile, people in southern Gaza are gathering whatever they can find to survive. In Rafah, long lines form outside bakeries and toilets at United Nations aid centers and mosques. Hundreds sit on the sidewalks of the main streets, staring at their phones, searching for information about their families and the homes they left behind.
Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz announced on Sunday that Israel would restore water supplies in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Interior Ministry, no water came from pipes in Gaza until Monday afternoon.
According to residents, the price of a bottle of water has already doubled due to the shortage. Now every drop counts.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
