GAZA, (PIC)
“We are not leaving.” With these simple words, Gaza residents summarize their stance as the Israeli occupation army renewed attempts to forcibly displace them from their city following thousands of massacres and horrific crimes over the past nine months.
On Wednesday, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets outlining routes they claim are safe corridors, directing Gaza City residents to evacuate to Deir al-Balah and al-Zawaida in central Gaza.
Despite the fear and hunger touching every corner of steadfast Gaza, residents cling to their city, expressing their willingness to die rather than leave.
We are not leaving
Journalist Mohammed Abu Qamar affirms that the occupation is exhausting all options, putting pressure on 700,000 residents of Gaza and the northern governorates to force them to move south. He asserts that those who have endured for ten months can remain steadfast, knowing that killing and targeting will continue whether they are in the north or south of Gaza.
“We are in the final stage before relief, Allah willing, and Allah will not abandon us,” he says.
We will not be uprooted by winds of displacement
A journalist from Al Jazeera writes, “After a brutal campaign of starvation, destruction, and killing, the Israeli army is trying to force the residents of Gaza City and the north to move south, claiming to provide ‘safe corridors’ without inspection. We, the people of Gaza and the north, are as rooted in our land as olive trees. The winds of displacement and destruction will not uproot us. We will stay here, steadfast and immovable. We are not leaving.”
Activist Ibrahim expresses his refusal to flee, saying, “We’ve been here for nine months, enduring hunger, thirst, pollution, fear, death, and displacement more than ten times. We survived all the hardships and didn’t leave. Now you want us to leave our country and our homes? No, we are not leaving. We will stay here and die in our homes and our land, proudly steadfast to the last breath, Allah willing.”
Writer Yousri Al-Ghoul warns against complying with the occupation’s plans, saying, “Do not fall for their evacuation scheme. We are staying in Gaza. We are not leaving.”
Despite the harsh conditions, Al-Ghoul’s faith in imminent liberation remains unshaken, reminding people of the steadfastness of Muslims during the Battle of the Trench.
Final cards
Community leaders and intellectuals have issued warnings to citizens not to comply with the occupation army’s orders, pointing out that the goal is to frighten the residents.
Researcher Mohammed Al-Rantisi notes that the Zionist enemy is using its final cards by pressuring the steadfast people in Gaza City and the north to move south, allegedly providing safe corridors without inspection. “Our response is clear: #WeAreNotMoving.”
Five days after the occupation army began its genocidal war on Gaza, it issued orders for the displacement of Gaza and northern Gaza residents, demanding they evacuate. Hundreds of thousands were forcibly moved to southern Wadi Gaza, while about 700,000 chose to stay.
Those who remained in Gaza and the north faced bombing, aggression, and starvation. Those who moved south encountered the same bloody Israeli policy, as invasions and airstrikes continued unabated from the north to the south of the Strip.
In this context, the director of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor Dr. Ramy Abdu emphasizes that Israel’s intimidation campaign against Gaza City and northern residents is reaching its peak with repeated evacuation orders.
He stressed that Israel’s failure to break the residents’ resilience leads it to alternate between intimidation and enticement. What happens in the central and southern Gaza Strip in terms of killing and displacement is no less severe than what happens in the north.
Activists warned against complying with the occupation’s evacuation orders, recalling their harsh experiences. Others affirmed that if they could go back, they would not have fled to the south.
Bloggers from Gaza and the north continuously express their refusal to be displaced, no matter the cost. The phrase “We are not leaving” has become a symbol of steadfastness and a declaration of defiance against the occupation’s plans.
Media professional Ayman Al-Omari photographed a boy selling plant seedlings for planting, symbolizing resilience even as the occupier calls for the displacement of the landowners and farmers.
The resilience of Gaza and northern residents over the past months and their refusal to comply with repeated displacement orders is seen as a key factor in thwarting the occupation army’s plan to displace Gaza Strip residents, as revealed by Israeli occupation officials in the early days of the war.
