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In the crowds of people in southern Gaza, young girls were screaming and elbowing each other, trying to get to the front of the food line. Men were distributing rice and chicken as quickly as they could, and plates of food fell to the ground in the chaos.
Nearby, boys waited for hours to fill plastic containers with water, amid tents packed so tightly they were almost touching each other.
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Hunger and desperation were evident at a tent camp along the Deir al-Balah beach on Friday (August 23, 2024), after a month of repeated evacuation orders that have pushed thousands of Palestinians into what the Israeli military calls a “humanitarian zone.”
The area has long been filled with Palestinians fleeing the bombardment, but the situation is growing more dire by the day, as large numbers of people flee and food and water become scarce. Over the past month, the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for southern Gaza at an unprecedented pace.
According to the United Nations (UN), at least 84% of Gaza now falls within the evacuation zone, and it is estimated that 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million inhabitants have been displaced during the war.
According to a report, 13 evacuation orders have been issued since July 22. associated Press The size of the humanitarian zone declared by Israel at the start of the war has been significantly reduced, while more Palestinians than ever have been pushed into it. Satellite images show growing crowds of evacuees.
Displaced Palestinians line up to collect water in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on August 23, 2024. | Photo credit: AP
“The food we get from charity is enough for the people living in our camp,” said Muhammad al-Qaed, a displaced person from Gaza City who now lives on the beach. “Where do the recently displaced people get food? Where do we provide them with food?”
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Another displaced Palestinian, Adham Hijazi, said: “I have started thinking that if there is no food, I will drink seawater to survive. I am talking seriously. I will drink water and salt.”
The army says the evacuation is necessary because Hamas has fired rockets from inside the humanitarian zone. In a post on X, army Arabic-language spokesman Avichai Adraee instructed Palestinians to flee immediately, saying the army would soon take “forceful” action against Hamas militants in the area.
Yasser Felfel, who is originally displaced from northern Gaza, has seen his camp fill up with growing numbers of displaced people.
“I had 32 people in my tent. Now there are about 50 people, people I don’t know,” he said. “A week ago, there was a lot of food left over. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner. Today, because of the number of people who have come here, there is hardly enough food even for lunch.”
“In August alone, evacuation orders were issued almost every two days, leaving some 250,000 people displaced,” the UN said.
“Many people here have been displaced more than 10 times. They are exhausted and broken,” said Georgios Petropoulos, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza.
A pair of satellite images taken last month show the order’s impact. Images and reviews courtesy of PlanetLabs APData shows that from July 19 to August 19, the number of tent camps along the beach increased further.
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On August 19, tents were pitched on nearly every available sandy spot and placed close to the sea.
Palestinians living in the humanitarian zone declared by Israel at the start of the war have also been forced to leave. On July 22, the army ordered the evacuation of much of the eastern edge of the zone, saying Hamas had fired rockets at Israel. Then on August 16, the army shrunk the zone again, telling Palestinians living in the middle to flee.
The evacuation comes as international mediators struggle to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire deal that would see fighting in Gaza halted and Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for large numbers of Israeli hostages.
The war began on October 7, when Hamas militants crossed the border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 others hostage. Israel’s counteroffensive has since killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza and destroyed buildings and infrastructure across the strip.
The evacuation operation has also resulted in water shortages. The UN says water supplies in Deir al-Balah have fallen by at least 70% since the recent evacuation operation began, as pumps and desalination plants have become stuck in evacuation areas.
Lack of clean water is leading to skin diseases and other illnesses. The UN’s main health agency has confirmed the first case of polio in Gaza, in a 10-month-old child in Deir al-Balah, whose lower left leg is now paralysed.
Meanwhile, aid groups say it is becoming even more difficult to offer help. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday (August 22, 2024) that the recently issued evacuation order caused the UN World Food Program to lose access to its warehouse in central Deir al-Balah.
Standing in line for water on Friday, Abu Mohammad looked at the water shortage around him and prayed that it would end soon.
“There is no water, no food, no money, no work, nothing,” says Mohammed, who has been displaced seven times. “We pray to God, not to people, that this all ends. We don’t have the capacity anymore. Oh world, we don’t have the capacity anymore.”