Displaced Gaza Families Struggle in a Deadly Landscape of Unexploded Munitions and Famine
Amid ongoing Israeli military strikes, Palestinian families find temporary shelter in Gaza's Arafat Police City, facing extreme hardship, cold, and the threat of unexploded ordnance.
Watan-Amid an atmosphere of insecurity, the “Arafat City Police Headquarters,” locally known as “The Passports,” in the center of Gaza, has turned into a shelter for dozens of Palestinian families who fled from the Shujaiya neighborhood and the eastern parts of the city following Israeli warnings for immediate evacuation. The displaced set up tents in the courtyard of this headquarters amidst unexploded munitions and rockets, turning it into one of the potential death zones threatening the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
In this yard, filled with rubble from destroyed buildings, a group of children tied ropes to the metal frames left behind by the bombing to turn them into swings. The children are trying to reclaim a part of their childhood that has been lost due to the genocide committed by Israel since October 7, 2023, creating a space for fun amidst the constant fear surrounding them.
The newly displaced continue to set up their nylon and fabric tents as temporary shelters. The displaced complain about the shortage of basic supplies such as water and food, like the rest of Gaza’s population, due to Israel’s continued closure of crossings for aid and goods since March 2. They also lack heating methods, especially since they fled without luggage or clothing, facing the cold night hours.
Displaced Gaza Families Seek Refuge Amid Explosive Dangers and Harsh Condition
On Friday morning, the Israeli army warned Palestinians in the neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Shujaiya, and Tuffah in eastern Gaza City to evacuate their homes before they would be attacked “with force.” This is the second such warning in weeks, as Shujaiya had been warned before. Palestinian Marwan Ayad said he had fled Shujaiya twice recently, and in the second instance, he headed to the “Arafat City Police Headquarters,” which is unsuitable for living.
He added that the headquarters has become unsafe, especially with unexploded munitions and rockets scattered among the rubble of destroyed buildings, now surrounded by the displaced’s tents. He explained that they were forced to flee with their children to this location, which had turned into destruction and rubble due to Israel’s war machine, with no better alternatives. He called for pressure on Israel to stop the genocide and massacres committed by the army in Gaza for over a year and a half.
For his part, Sami Al-Ghrably said he recently fled from the Shujaiya neighborhood to the headquarters filled with unexploded bombs. He explained that he and his family fled Shujaiya after narrowly escaping death due to the army’s attacks. During his statement, he pointed out the scattered rockets and unexploded bombs, saying he didn’t know what might happen to the displaced if they exploded suddenly.
Local and international institutions have repeatedly warned of the dangers of unexploded munitions in various parts of the Gaza Strip, resulting from months of Israeli bombing. A Palestinian displaced woman from the Ayad family (who asked to remain anonymous) said she became the sole provider for her two children after her husband was martyred during the genocide.
Struggling Gaza Families Endure Hunger and Hardship Amid Forced Displacement
She added that they now live from displacement to displacement due to the forced evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli army. She explained that due to the dire economic conditions, she and her children live in a tent with her extended family (which includes her parents and siblings). She said that she and her children sleep on a single blanket laid on the ground, without any covers to protect her children from the winter cold.
Ayad describes life after her husband’s martyrdom as “difficult,” as she is unable to provide the basic needs for her children. She said her children suffer from malnutrition due to a lack of food or the absence of essential nutrients when food is available. Moreover, the economic situation prevents her from providing essential baby supplies, such as diapers, which are scarce, and those available are expensive due to Israel’s closure of crossings and the prohibition of aid, which most Gazans rely on. The genocide has turned many into poverty-stricken individuals.
Earlier on Friday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that Gaza is nearing “extreme hunger,” as basic supplies are running out due to Israel’s continued closure of the crossings. Juliette Tuma, the director of media and communications at UNRWA, said, “With the Israeli authorities continuing their siege of Gaza for more than six weeks, all basic supplies are almost depleted.” She further clarified in a statement that the depletion of basic supplies coincided with a “significant rise in the prices” of goods available in Gaza during March, since Israel imposed its blockade on the Strip. She continued, “This means that infants and children are going to bed hungry.”
With full U.S. support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving over 167,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, most of them children and women, and over 11,000 missing.
