IN THE WAR-TORN city of Rafah, southern Gaza – until recently a sanctuary for 1.4 million people seeking safety – families find themselves on the move yet again.
In near-constant transit over the past few months, their resilience has been tested with each fresh displacement.
Now Israel has threatened a ground invasion of the densely populated area.
The scene at the sea road is hauntingly familiar—a procession of cars overloaded with blankets, clothes, and meager food supplies, forming a chaotic caravan fleeing the impending perils of conflict.
The Israeli army, issuing confusing evacuation instructions, adds to the plight of Gazans, making life unbearable as they navigate through the labyrinth of war.
The Israeli army’s tightening siege on Gaza and the closure of crucial crossings exacerbates the challenges, causing a significant decline in the flow of aid.
Southern Gaza’s markets stand eerily empty, stripped of essential items like clothes, food, hygiene products, and medical supplies, transforming the displacement experience into a painful ordeal.
With no houses available for rent, displaced families are forced into makeshift tents, constructed from any available nylon and wood, even repurposing agricultural buildings for shelter. Desperation takes on new dimensions as families are found sleeping on the shelves of chicken farms, and others seek refuge in greenhouses.
The scarcity of food for livestock translates into a lack of meat for sustenance, with many enduring months without the luxury of chicken or other meat in their diets.
The once-thriving city now forces its inhabitants to subsist on the bare minimum, as the echoes of conflict reverberate through their daily lives.
The expansion of war in Rafah, the last bastion for people who have fled the conflict from elsewhere in Gaza, raises profound concerns. It threatens to sever the lifeline of assistance into Gaza, plunging its residents into even greater suffering.
As the war encroaches, the fate of those who now call Rafah home hangs in the balance, highlighting the urgent need for international attention and intervention to alleviate the impending humanitarian crisis.
“Where is the escape from Rafah?” questioned Mustafa Ibrahim, a Palestinian writer and human rights activist, in a conversation with The Journal.
He expressed concern over the fear instilled by the prospect of the Israeli army invading Rafah by land.
Ibrahim noted that no country, not even the International Court of Justice, has the capacity to prevent Israel from invading. The court’s ruling that Israel must take measures to prevent public incitement to commit genocide has proven ineffective in halting Israel’s actions.
As a displaced Palestinian who relocated from Gaza City to Rafah, Ibrahim said:
“From here, international and Arab warnings seem to be mere rhetoric, as they have not been accompanied by any serious measures to halt the war, killings, and destruction.
“Instead, they appear to provide Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli army with the last opportunity to achieve the war’s objectives and the ‘absolute victory’.”
Also, in Rafah, the price of food items has increased, and the price of wheat sacks has tripled this week as the Israeli army restrict the entry of aid into Gaza.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich delayed the entry of an American-financed flour shipment into the Gaza Strip, for reasons related to the fact that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA) would be responsible for distributing this shipment.
Ahmed Sami, 59, is dismantling his tent near the border of Rafah with Egypt, relocating to the central area in anticipation of an imminent Israeli army operation in Rafah.
“This is the fifth time we’ve had to move. Just three weeks ago, we were in Khan Younis when the army instructed us to evacuate the UN shelter amidst tank fire. I left everything behind, even the wheat sacks provided by UNRWA.
“We are uncertain if the new location in Zawaida will be safe, but we fear Rafah will face a fate similar to the north. The Israeli army shows no mercy.”
Ahmed Sami, who moved with his 17-member family to Rafah three weeks ago, is now using his car to transport a nylon cover and wood shelter to another location. The items weigh heavily on the car.
“I used to work as a taxi driver, but with the soaring fuel prices, I can barely cover the moving expenses. I haven’t been able to work for the past five months now.”
While Ahmed has successfully found another place to go, thousands of residents in Rafah are unable to find alternatives.
Rafah has evolved into the largest concentration of displaced people in the Gaza Strip.
Shelter centres are overwhelmed, with tents and bodies stacked up, and there is a severe shortage of humanitarian aid, meeting less than 10% of the people’s needs.
This deficiency highlights the failure of what remains of the ‘ruling authority’ in the Strip to provide essential services.
In a distressing development during this war, several Palestinian police officers lost their lives over the past week due to Israeli airstrikes targeting their police cars in Rafah. Amid the ongoing crisis, the police play a crucial role in aiding organisations to manage aid distribution, protecting civilians, and preventing trader monopolies.
The Israeli army’s deliberate targeting of the police force disrupts essential efforts to maintain order and manage civil affairs in densely populated areas.
With law enforcement absent, the current situation poses a significant risk of descending into chaos, resembling a jungle law scenario, putting the well-being of civilians in jeopardy.
The Journal knows the identity of the reporter on the ground in Gaza but has used a pseudonym for security purposes.
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