Nearly two million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes across the besieged Gaza Strip, which has a total population of 2.3 million people.
Those refugees are mostly concentrated in the southern Gaza Strip, in fact, the southern tip of the south, mainly between Khan Yunis and Rafah.
More, most of them are in the Tell Al-Sultan and Al-Mawasi regions, bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
Despite the immense suffering felt by these people, the sea continues to offer a respite, a breathing space, however temporary, between bouts of Israeli bombardments, which at times reach these refugee camps.
The Palestine Chronicle visited the Rafah Beach, followed a young girl as she looked for shells, and a young man as he played with his dog.
At one point, a father stood with his five girls and asked for their family photo to be taken.
As our reporter joined a group of men gazing at the blue sea in front of them, a young man had a message, which he wanted to share.
“We came to the sea despite the war, the shelling, and the massacres,” a young man told us.
“We came here despite all the gunboats and the… pic.twitter.com/6G9zdCrAAP
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 17, 2024
As our reporter joined a group of men gazing at the blue sea in front of them, a young man had a message, which he wanted to share.
“We came to the sea despite the war, the shelling, and the massacres,” a young man told us.
“We came here despite all the gunboats and the aircraft carriers. America is in the sea, Israel is in the sea, the Egyptian army is in the sea, and God knows how many mercenaries from all across the world are also stationed in the sea to take part in the war against us.
“But we insist that this sea is our sea, and this land is our land. Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is ours. The cause is our cause and we are not moving an inch.”
“And this sea,” he repeated, pointing ahead, “is our sea.”
Not far in front of him, two little Gaza boys ran with giddiness at the yellow sand, while the waves continued to roll in as they have done since time immemorial.
(All Photos and Video: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
