Gaza City, Gaza – Another sleepless night, another difficult morning, burdened by the horrific aftermath of Israeli attacks.
Israeli forces have bombarded the besieged Gaza Strip from the air, land and sea since October 7, killing thousands of people and leaving widespread destruction.
According to the government media office in Gaza, more than 18,000 tons of explosives have been dropped on the blockaded area since the Israeli attack began.
Over the past three weeks, “approximately 50 tons of explosives were received every kilometer within the Gaza Strip,” the media agency said.
According to the Palestinian authorities, more than 8,500 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 3,500 children. Another 1,870 people are missing under the rubble, including 1,020 children.
The Israeli bombardment has leveled entire neighborhoods and is targeting densely populated refugee camps.
In the Shati (beach) refugee camp west of Gaza City, Ahmad Ghaben stood on a bombed-out site where houses used to stand.
“The whole area is gone,” he said. “Young and old have been murdered. The family of Abu Mohammed al-Jabari, the family of Abu Mohammed Abdelsamad… all disappeared. The Hassouneh family had elderly sick people. Three rockets rained down on us. They do [Israel] Do you think we are an army? We are all citizens here.”
Empty shelves have become commonplace in supermarkets after Israel placed the area under complete siege, severely restricting the supply of water, food, fuel and electricity and restricting access to network connectivity.
Yet, despite the scattered rubble of destroyed buildings, the streets of Gaza City are not deserted. Residents still shop for groceries, look for basic necessities like clean water and bread, and stand in long lines at bakeries.
Others looked for gas bottles to cook with, and some residents left their wares on the side of the street to sell.
The message is clear: Gazans are aware that life goes on and are determined to continue doing so.