GAZA, (PIC)
The intense heat pushed Naji Abu Al-Rous and his family to choose the beach to pass the time, as staying in their displacement tent during the day became unbearable.
This family’s situation mirrors that of many in the Gaza Strip, whose options have been severely limited by the occupation. With frequent power outages and no alternatives to operate cooling devices, residents of the Gaza Strip find solace at the beach to cope with the soaring temperatures.
Naji told Quds Press, “I go daily to the beach opposite Deir al-Balah with my family and spend the day there. You can’t stay in the tent during the day; the heat inside is skin-burning and adds to our anguish. So, we head to the beaches to spend time and try to forget the bitterness of our situation.”
For weeks, Gaza’s beaches have become a haven for tens of thousands of displaced people, who chose to pitch their tents there after the occupation reduced the safe area since the start of its military operation in Rafah on May 6, 2024.
The safe zone stretches from the beaches of Khan Yunis to the Nuseirat refugee camp, spanning fifteen kilometers and sheltering about a million Palestinians who fled from Rafah and chose the central region’s beaches for displacement.
Among them is the Abu Rami family, who fled from the Shaboura neighborhood in central Rafah to the Khan Yunis beach. “Since the Rafah operation began last month, I decided to set up a tent on the beach and sleep there because water is always available,” Abu Rami told Quds Press. “A lack of water exacerbates the hardships of displacement.”
He added, “I also chose the beach for my children, who found a place to play and have fun. The sea is our last refuge after the occupation destroyed all the places we could go to escape our reality.”
Moreover, the active presence of the displaced on the beaches encouraged the owners of seaside resorts to reopen. They cleared the dust of war from their closed resorts, repaired seats and tables, making them suitable for people to sit.
Additionally, individual businesses have sprung up, such as selling falafel, biscuits, juices, and iced water. Some young people took advantage of the thousands of displaced people on the beaches to work in these small trades to provide for their families.
However, these scenes did not sit well with the occupying army, which attempted to disturb the Gazans by firing shells from ships and boats directly at the displacement tents, killing and injuring dozens, driven by a desire for revenge.
For the 252nd consecutive day, the Israeli occupation army, with American and European support, continues its aggression on the Gaza Strip. Its aircraft bombard the surroundings of hospitals, buildings, towers, and Palestinian civilian homes, destroying them over their residents’ heads and blocking the entry of water, food, medicine, and fuel.
The ongoing occupation aggression on Gaza has resulted in 37,232 martyrs and 85,037 injuries, along with the displacement of about 1.7 million people from the Strip, according to United Nations data.
