31 October 2024| 26 Rabi ul Akhir 1446
After more than a year of Israel’s war, Abu Razzak Al-Qassas and his family live in a makeshift shelter within a cemetery in southern Gaza, dependent on food donations for survival.
The Al-Qassas family, originally from Gaza City in the northern part of the coastal enclave, are among many other displaced that are staying in the Khan Younis cemetery.
“Look at how terrifying and frightening it is for the children. Look at how we are living, there is no food and water,” Al-Qassas said, pointing to the cemetery’s gravestones.
Most of the two million people in Gaza have been displaced by Israel’s relentless assault on the enclave.
Some, like the Al-Qassas family, whose home was severely damaged, have had to move more than once.
Plummeting aid
The amount of aid entering Gaza has plummeted and there are severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.
Israel has often blamed aid agencies for failing to distribute aid inside Gaza. The US has warned its ally Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on US military aid.
Hunger is prevalent and many people are living in tents and makeshift shelters of tattered tarps and blankets that are unlikely to protect them from the harsh winter they are about to face.
The Al-Qassas family live off bread that is warmed by an open fire, cheese and a mixture of spices and wheat.
“My children have nothing to eat or drink. They cry all night long. They want food. Where can I get it from,” Al-Qassas said, adding that the markets and border crossings were closed.
Al-Qassas’ wife, Ghada, said: “There is no life anymore in the entire Gaza Strip, whether in the north or in the south.”