‘Weary, tired and helpless’: Mass exodus of Palestinians in central Gaza

TEL AVIV: A mass exodus of Palestinians has begun in central Gaza after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the Palestinians to move to south Gaza’s Deir el-Balah area.

“My wife was injured in an IDF attack. We now have to again move to a new camp. We are weary, tired and helpless,” Muhammad Al-Fajar, a resident of central Gaza, told IANS over phone.

He said that Salah al-Din street -- which is the entry point to the Bureij refugee camp -- is the place where Palestinians are trying to escape.

“IDF has shot many people dead who were trying to escape to Bureij camp,” Fajar said.

He said that he and his family -- including wife and four children -- are moving on foot to the new camp.

“There is a possibility of an imminent attack on us,” Fajar said.

He said that most of the Internally Displaced People (IDP) have loaded pick-up trucks and donkey carts with mattresses, beddings and other essential items including kitchen utensils and are moving towards south Gaza.

During the temporary one week truce from November 24 to December 1, between Hamas and Israel, the Hamas released 105 hostages while 129 hostages still remain in Hamas captivity.

The Israelis believe that out of the remaining 129 hostages, at least 20 hostages have died.

There are thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails who have been held without any trials and access to legal counsel.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club has said that Israeli forces have arrested more than 4,655 people in the occupied West Bank since October 7.

Israel launched a ground offensive inside Gaza on October 27 after Hamas attacked Israel in a surprise attack on October 7 in which 1200 Israelis were killed and over 200 were taken hostage.

Since the outbreak of hostilities between Hamas and Israel, over 20,057 Palestinians have been killed mostly being children and women while 52,286 Palestinians have been injured.