Life has become a living nightmare for twenty-one-year-old Mohammed Elewa in the Gaza Strip. The constant sound of Israeli bombs and Palestinian ambulance sirens serves as a reminder of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. On Friday morning, he woke up to the news that the Israeli military had issued evacuation orders for over a million people in the northern Gaza Strip, in anticipation of a possible ground invasion. However, Elewa, like many others in Gaza City, felt there was nowhere safe to go.
Elewa expresses his frustration, “There’s nowhere safe to go. Where am I supposed to go?” He explains that he cannot make his way to the south, where many residents have fled. The overcrowding in shelters, such as schools run by the UN agency UNRWA, has become a major concern. Elewa reveals that there were already 50 people to a room in some cases. Despite the evacuation order, Elewa and many others in Gaza feel trapped and abandoned.
The United Nations has called on Israel to rescind the evacuation order, stating that the mass movement of people would have dire humanitarian consequences. Many patients in Gaza’s hospitals cannot be evacuated due to their unstable conditions. Dr Yusuf Abu al-Rish, Gaza’s deputy health minister, explains that it would be impossible to evacuate the largest hospital, Al-Shifa, as it is already stretched beyond its capacity. Tarik Jasarevic from the World Health Organization warns that such an evacuation of vulnerable patients would be a death sentence for many.
Families in Gaza City are seen fleeing their homes on donkeys, trucks, and cars. A journalist from Gaza City, Mohammed Abu Safia, describes the fear and lack of communication prevalent in the city. He mentions that people cannot think straight and are unable to express their fears. The ongoing bombings and destruction of infrastructure have made transportation difficult, leaving the residents feeling trapped.
Israel has been urged by various human rights organizations to consider the impact of its actions on civilians. The roads are in ruins, fuel is scarce, and the main hospital is within the evacuation zone. Human Rights Watch emphasizes the importance of world leaders speaking up to protect the lives of innocent civilians.
Meanwhile, Elewa, a paracyclist, shares that he has survived a bombing and is preparing for another terrifying night under Israeli bombardment. He describes the prevailing atmosphere in Gaza as one of constant anxiety and a sense of waiting. He states, “There’s absolutely no sleep that’s happening at all. Everyone’s just on edge, just waiting.”