Gaza City residents defy Israel’s orders to evacuate: ‘We’re staying here’

Ziad Ayyad: 

Look at me. Nothing in the entire world compares to what’s happening to us.

Saleh Abd Al Dayim: 

Neither people, nor trees, nor rocks—nothing has escaped this brutal war.

Abed Abed Al Dayim: 

You wake up to bombing and go to sleep to bombing. 

Basel Radi’ Al Masri: 

It’s clear they have not destroyed the resistance in Gaza at all. They have only destroyed the people. 

Narrator: 

Israel has ordered the entire population of Gaza City—over one million people—to evacuate. The orders come ahead of a ground invasion that Israeli officials have described as a ‘mighty hurricane.’ For those in Gaza city, many of whom have already been displaced multiple times, this order presents a deadly choice: flee into the unknown yet again, or stay and face the advancing Israeli army. 

Ziad Ayyad: 

We moved from one place to another: from Nuseirat to Deir al-Balah, then from Deir to Gaza City. We already experienced displacement. We can’t do it again. We’re staying here. Whatever happens, happens. Even if they crush us under their tanks. We moved from place to place. How many more times should we go? We were displaced and have been living in tents ever since. The hardship is so bitter. What do you want me to say? 

Saleh Abd Al Dayim: 

At the start of the war, I went from north to south. It was very difficult for those who stayed in the north. It was also difficult for those in the south, but the north was worse. They faced hunger, exhaustion, and witnessed many horrors. They were forced out dozens of times by the occupation. They moved from place to place until they died. Few in the north survived. If they didn’t die of hunger, they died at the hands of the Israelis. 

Basel Radi’ Al Masri: 

I am one who did not flee south. I stayed in the north to protect my home. But unfortunately, everything was completely destroyed. Despite all the pain, displacement, and oppression we’re experiencing, I personally reject displacement. And that is what hurts me. Every morning, I see wagons and cars pulling neighbors and relatives. Many displaced people are heading south. This makes us fear a repeat of past agreements where our right to return was conditional.

Narrator: 

This fear of permanent displacement is profound, the language used by both the Israelis and their ally the U.S., repeatedly talks of emptying Gaza – echoing the great Palestinian displacement of 1948, known as the nakba or “catastrophe”. 

After nearly two years of a war that has killed over 64,000 people, this new offensive threatens not only to deepen a famine but also ends any hope of return. 

Basel Radi’ Al Masri: 

We suffered greatly when we were separated from the Gaza Strip. I was, and still am, in Beit Lahia. But thank God, we were patient and persevered until we could return to our homes. Now the same scenario is repeating, forcing us to flee Gaza. 

Saleh Abd Al Dayim: 

We lived through wars, the First Intifada, the Second Intifada, and other wars that lasted two weeks or a month. The longest was 2014, which lasted 52 days. Now we’re talking about nearly two years. It has exhausted our strength and taken everything from us. No one has anything left. No one has escaped this brutal war—not people, nor trees, nor buildings. 

Basel Radi’ Al Masri: 

I lived through the occupation in the 1980s and the First Intifada, but that was completely different from now. Back then, basic necessities like food and water were available. But now, despite the failures of Netanyahu and his military leadership, his strategy is to starve the people into submission. But, thank God, we are still steadfast, remaining on this land. 

Abed Abed Al Dayim: 

It’s extremely difficult. The horrors of war are difficult. The atmosphere is difficult. You wake up to bombing and go to sleep to bombing. It’s very, very difficult. You’re sitting in a tent—here! You’re living in a tent—here! Plastic. Forget bullets; if a piece of shrapnel falls, it would burn me and the tent. This is the situation. This. I used to live in a concrete house. Now, if a candle fell or a spark touched this tent, it would burn me and my children, because I live in a plastic tent. 

Narrator: 

Israel claims it’s clearing the city to target Hamas, calling it their last stronghold. They’ve designated al-Mawasi in the south as a ‘humanitarian zone,’ but aid groups say it lacks the capacity for a million new arrivals and has itself been bombed. For many, the cost of moving is impossible—over a thousand dollars—and the destination is no guarantee of safety. 

Ziad Ayyad: 

We walk everywhere. The financial situation is below zero. What more do you want? On foot: I walked from Deir to Shejaiya. As for the Israeli army? We have tasted their tyranny. What more do you want? We’re being displaced from place to place. Since we left Deir,

we’ve fled three times. This will be the fourth time. Here we are, living in tents. Life is difficult. A difficult, difficult life. A kilo of flour costs 150–160 shekels—48 US dollars. Life is hard. 

Saleh Abd Al Dayim: 

Honestly, it’s very difficult. If we’re forced to leave, we will, but against our will. If they force us to move, we will, to protect the lives of our children. It’s very difficult, and very expensive too. Fleeing from place to place is a disaster—financially and physically exhausting. It’s really expensive. We pay a high price to flee. Transportation is not available. You have to move your tent, or if it’s broken, buy a new one. You need wood, you need materials, you have to buy everything. You have to build a new bathroom, start everything from scratch. 

Ziad Ayyad: 

Look at me. Nothing in the entire world compares to what’s happening to us. The tyranny, the displacement, the hunger. We’re hungry. We’ve been starved, stripped of dignity, humiliated, and forced from place to place. Can it get more oppressive than this? These two years have felt like a lifetime. These two years are like a lifetime. 

Basel Radi’ Al Masri: 

The Israeli forces’ repeated attempts to occupy Gaza City prove they have failed. Two years on, they claim they have destroyed the Palestinian resistance, but they are still negotiating with that same resistance. It’s clear they have not destroyed the resistance in Gaza at all. They have only destroyed the people.