Fear and despair in Gaza, a ghost town under Israeli bombs

Empty streets and closed tents: as Israeli forces and Islamic Jihad collide, Gaza appears a ghost town and the inhabitants of the war-torn Palestinian enclave feel as if they are reliving the same scenes over and over again.

Like every week, Friday – a weekly day of rest – the setting of Gaza, one of the few places where you can breathe fresh air in the overcrowded enclave, was packed with people.

Less than 24 hours later, this long avenue that runs along the Mediterranean coast it is deserted. The cafes are closed and the street vendors have stayed home.

Not a soul can be seen in the city center. The only residents who venture out of their homes do so to check for damage from the bombing.

“We were living in peace and, suddenly, on Friday afternoon the bombings began,” said Mohamed Hamami, 40, “surprised” by the Israeli “aggression” in Gaza, a territory of 2.3 million inhabitants subjected to a severe Israeli blockade since 2007.

Israel’s offensive

The Israeli army claims to carry out a “preventative” operation in Gaza.

He stresses that his target is Islamic Jihad, the second largest armed group in the territory, after the Hamas government.

Fifteen fighters were killed, according to Israel. Local authorities reported that 12 people died and more than 80 were injured.

Among the victims is Alaa Kaddoum, a 5-year-old girl, killed in a bombing of the residential neighborhood where she lived in Gaza with her family.

“Enough enough!” Hamami asks. “We live in fear of the (Israeli) occupation. Every month or every year there is a war,” she sighs.

Israel and armed groups in Gaza fought four wars since 2007.

The latest, in May 2021, resulted in 260 Palestinian deaths in eleven days, including fighters, and 14 deaths in Israel, including a soldier, according to local authorities.

“This last climb reminds us of episodes of fear, anguish, the feeling of being alone”, explains Dounia Alamal Ismail, who lives in the center and has not slept due to the incessant noise of explosions.

“I hope that this escalation does not turn into a big confrontation and that the Egyptian mediation will restore calm,” he adds.

The mediation of Egypt

Egypt, a historic mediator between Israel and armed groups in Gaza, seeks to intervene in the conflict, Egyptian officials told AFP.

But on the ground, the inhabitants are still afraid. Israel has already announced this Saturday that the offensive could last at least a week.

In a televised address to the nation on Friday night, Israeli interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that “Israel is not interested in a larger conflict in Gaza, but it will not avoid one.”

“This government has a zero tolerance policy for any attempted attack, of any kind, from Gaza to Israeli territory,” he said. “Israel will not stand still as long as there are those who try to harm its civilians,” she said. he said she.

The leader of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Mohamed Al Hindi, assured that “the battle has just begun”.

In Jabalia, in northern Gaza, Fouad Farajallah examines his home. His living room is full of rubble.

“I was sitting on the couch with my wife and kids when suddenly everything fell apart,” he told AFP. “My wife broke her hand and my son was hit by a shrapnel.”

Source: AFP

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