Israel and the occupied territories: Gaza families face fear and displacement as hostilities intensify

“I left my wife and children in the north yesterday and travelled six hours to come and look for somewhere we could stay in Deir al-Balah. I want to call them every five minutes and check if they are okay or not – it is a constant fear knowing the hostilities are so close to them. The other day, a building was damaged within only fifty metres of them. The constant sound of explosions is terrifying for them, and they can feel the blast impacts - shaking walls and shockwaves of dust – from hundreds of meters away. This is what it’s like every day for people. Many wake thinking the situation cannot get worse, but it continues to deteriorate.  

I want to call them every five minutes and check if they are okay or not – it is a constant fear knowing the hostilities are so close to them. 

Photo: Reuters Connect

When I find somewhere, I will go back and get my family, but we don’t know yet how we will move our belongings down here. There are not enough trucks for people to use, and it’s too expensive for many people. Hundreds of families are losing their homes every day, and the vast majority cannot afford the cost of being displaced and moving to the south, so they are sleeping in the streets.  

My wife’s nephew was severely injured recently, and we are his last remaining family. I don’t know how we will move him from the north down to here. My mind is overwhelmed with all the decisions we have to make and the lack of choices for any of them.  

The roads are congested, damaged, and dangerous, with the few working vehicles in poor condition. Journeys take hours, often on foot, with no clear destination. Elderly or sick family members arrive exhausted in the south, where even here, many are left to sleep along the roads until they can find shelter.”