‘Everybody is afraid that the occupation will destroy Nuseirat the same way it did with Khan Yunis, Al-Bureij, Al-Maghazi, and the northern Gaza Strip.’
On April 11, the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, Israeli occupation forces announced the beginning of a ground operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.
Israeli military vehicles advanced, positioning themselves on the northern edges of the camp near the entrance of Zahraa City and the area connecting Nuseirat to the city of Al-Moghraga.
Israeli forces began their intensive shelling of Nusìeirat in the early afternoon. The camp was bombarded by aircraft, artillery, and naval boats, resulting in casualties and the displacement of large numbers from the northern areas of the camp.
The continuous and intense shelling lasted for over 15 consecutive hours, resulting in many casualties and injuries.
The Palestine Chronicle spoke with two residents of the camp, who narrated their horrific experience.
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‘No Joy for Our Children’
“The occupation targeted with its artillery shells the gate of an UNRWA school on the outskirts of Nuseirat, resulting in the death of three displaced Palestinians,” Moataz Nasar told The Palestine Chronicle.
“The school, which has become a shelter for thousands during this war, was damaged, forcing the displaced to flee, once again, for their lives,” he added.
Israeli occupation forces also completely destroyed an apartment in the Salahieh residential tower, resulting in the killing of an UNRWA and his family.
Airstrikes and shelling did not even spare the mosques of Ma’ath bin Jabal and Thul-Noorayn, causing panic among residents and displaced people.
“In the morning of the first day of Eid, we tried to bring smiles to the faces of our children, by organizing recreational activities and singing with them,” Nasar told us.
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“But the occupation decided to spoil even that small joy for our children,” he added.
“This is the seventh month of war, and it is not easy to support our kids psychologically when we see that Palestinians are still forced to flee and evacuate to avoid Israeli bombing.”
Don’t Let Nuseirat Be Destroyed
Abd Abu Hamad agrees. “After six months of war, our children were playing on swings in front of the destroyed houses to celebrate the end of Ramadan,” he said.
“But the occupation has ruined whatever feeling of joy for our children, and has forced people to flee to relatively safer areas,” he added.
“Everybody is afraid that the occupation will destroy Nuseirat the same way it did with Khan Yunis, Al-Bureij, Al-Maghazi, and the northern Gaza Strip.”
“I still hope that the international community intervenes to stop them from invading Nuseirat, Deir al-Balah, and Rafah,” Hamad said.
“Nuseirat now hosts tens of thousands of displaced people, and this genocide must be stopped.”
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(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Abdallah Aljamal is a Gaza-based journalist. He is a contributor for The Palestine Chronicle from the Gaza Strip. His email is abdallahaljamal1987@gmail.com
