Five months after a ceasefire was announced in Gaza, airstrikes are still killing civilians, and the humanitarian situation remains dire
There is little left that connects Palestinians in Gaza with their prewar existence. The contours of life have become darker and far more brutal, as if the population has been stripped from its past.
“Drones never stop buzzing overhead, gunfire and shelling continue almost daily and naval boats fire towards fishermen,” said 56-year-old Ahmed Baroud, a father of five currently displaced in Deir al-Balah.
Seventeen months after the war in Gaza began, and five months after a ceasefire was announced, airstrikes are still killing civilians, and the humanitarian situation remains dire. Health authorities said six people were killed and four others injured early on Sunday by an Israeli airstrike on the al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis.
While the world’s eyes are fixed on Iran, everyday life in the streets and markets of the territory is fearful and drained of colour. People with exhausted faces queue for food and other supplies amid the ruins of destroyed buildings. Muddy waters course through displacement camps.
“The situation has become even more strained since the war on Iran began,” said Baroud, reflecting a widespread view that the US and Israeli campaign against Tehran has resulted in even higher prices for food and other essentials.
Ibtisam Al-Kurdi, who lost both her sons in the war, said: “We are struggling to obtain firewood for cooking due to the closure of crossings and the lack of gas, which has led to a significant increase in its price.”
The 64-year-old, who is originally from Jabalia and is displaced in the Tel al-Hawa area of Gaza City, added: “We can no longer afford vegetables or meat, and we rely daily on canned food and legumes, with a constant fear that famine may return.
“I hope that all of this will come to a complete end … that the bombardment will stop, and that our children will no longer have to live in constant fear of the sounds of drones and explosions.” (Courtesy Guardian UK)
