Nowhere to run: Gazans seeking refuge in former prison
With continued Israeli attacks in the designated “safe-area” of Khan Younis, Gazans have been forced to seek shelter in Asda prison on July 26th, according to Middle East Monitor and Asharq al-Awsat.
The Asda prison, which was forced to release its prisoners ten months ago as a result of Israel’s attacks on Gaza, now provides refuge for Palestinians who have faced Israeli bombardment for the last four days.
Nezire al-Rakab, one of the Palestinian women taking shelter in the former prison, was forced to flee her home after artillery fire killed her son and two daughters-in-law. “Although it is not safe, we have no other alternative,” she said.
Many other children orphaned because of Israeli bombing are also seeking shelter within the prison with al-Rakab.
Ummu Abdullah Abu Mustafa, another Palestinian seeking safety in the jail told reporters that it was his first time in jail, adding “My family and I never thought we would go to prison one day. The prison is dark and not suitable for living. You feel like a real prisoner inside”.
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Conditions in the prison were “difficult and painful”, he said, with no access to water or gas. The offensive into the Gaza strip has led to a shortage of materials and food, which has led to extremely high levels of inflation.
Yasmeen al-Dardasi and her family now live in the prayer room of the prison, having been evacuated from Khan Younis and spending a night sleeping under a tree. Her husband, suffering from a damaged kidney and just one lung, has no option but to sleep on the floor without a mattress or blanket.
“We are not settled here either,” said Dardasi, who fears that she will be uprooted once again like many other Palestinians.
Gaza’s health ministry announced on July 25th that Israeli military strikes killed 18 people in eastern Khan Younis, a city considered one of the most densely populated places in the world.
Israel has stated that it has taken extreme care in protecting civilians in the war against Hamas in Gaza as a result of the October 7th attacks carried out by the militant group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his latest address to U.S. Congress on July 25th announced that in terms of civilian casualties during the operation in Rafah, there were “practically none”.
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The current death toll in Gaza stands at 39,175 casualties, with over 90,403 injured, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry of Gaza.
The continuous bombing of the coastal enclave has led to many neighbourhoods being reduced to rubble, leaving 9 out of 10 people internally displaced within Gaza, according to the UN. Damage to health infrastructure and sewage piping has also led to an explosion of communicable diseases amongst Palestinians trapped in the war zone.
Egyptian, U.S. and Qatari mediators are racing to secure a ceasefire to end the deadly conflict, which has entered its ninth month of fighting.
For now, Palestinians like Hana Al-Sayed Abu Mustafa cling to safety in Asda prison, having already been displaced six times.
“Where should we go? All the places that we go to are dangerous,” she said.
Middle East Monitor / Asharq al-Awsat and agencies
