Desperate Rafah Refugees Flee to Local Beaches

May 15th, 2024 - by The Palestinian Information Center

 

Fleeing Bombardment, Displaced Civilians
Take Shelter on Gaza’s Beaches
The Palestinian Information Center

KHAN YOUNIS (May 13, 2024) — The Palestinians endure the hardships of Israeli aggression and genocide in Gaza, yet they remain unbroken and will not be broken; their will is of steel, and their determination is unwavering.

The repeated displacement from cities in the Gaza Strip, away from the shells and Israeli missiles, has become a recurring scene in the region, which is subjected to a war of annihilation in every sense of the word.

After the Israeli occupation army launched its ground attack on the eastern areas of Rafah city and threatened to evacuate neighborhoods in the city, a large wave of displacement began towards areas in the central and southern regions of the Gaza Strip, despite continuous Israeli shelling. There is no safe place in Gaza.

The displaced people are puzzled about where to go and whom to turn to, given the extreme overcrowding in the central region and the border area.

A correspondent for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) confirmed that some of the displaced people resorted to the beach to set up their tents due to the lack of available places and spaces.

Citizen Mahmoud Al-Haddad told the PIC correspondent that after a severe ordeal and a new journey of displacement, he was forced to set up his tent on the beach because the land had become too narrow for him. He added that he and his five children slept on the sandy beach and covered themselves with a piece of cloth.

He explained that the sea sand is very hot, and they sleep on it, in addition to being forced to use seawater for various purposes.

It has been observed in various areas of the Gaza Strip, from Nuseirat in the central region to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the south, that the displaced people crowded on the beach under extremely harsh and suffering conditions.

According to the United Nations, 300,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah city since the start of the Israeli ground operation in Rafah.

UN reports indicate that 90% of the population in the Gaza Strip are displaced and are enduring harsh conditions within the context of the genocide war.

The Israeli occupation army usually resorts to committing horrifying massacres in the areas it infiltrates, including demolishing houses over people’s heads and carrying out field executions and terrifying acts of torture.

The Israeli occupation army continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip for 220 days with American and European support. Its aircraft bombard the vicinity of hospitals, buildings, towers, and the homes of Palestinian civilians, destroying them over the heads of their inhabitants. It also prevents the entry of water, food, medicine, and fuel.

The continuous aggression of the occupation army on Gaza has resulted in the death of 35,034 citizens and the injury of 78,755 others, in addition to the displacement of approximately 1.7 million people, according to United Nations data.

The Palestinian Information Center is a news website that provides news coverage of mainly Palestinian events for its readership in the world in various languages. Since its inception in December 1997, PIC has taken the lead to speak up for Palestinians’ dream to liberate their motherland and restore their infringed rights.

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