Palestinians in Gaza will use any truce period to recover bodies from the rubble of destroyed buildings, while affluent families seek to bribe their way out, residents of the besieged enclave told i.
Israel’s bombardment continued on Thursday, which was to be the first day of a four-day ceasefire, with talks over the terms ongoing.
Residents of Gaza who have lived through repeated rounds of violence between Israel and Hamas say the hours before a truce are often the most dangerous. Thursday was no exception, said Maha Hussaini, a journalist and strategy director of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a Geneva-based nonprofit.
“Last night [and] Thursday morning, we witnessed the most intense bombing that we have not seen since we were displaced to the central Gaza strip,” she said. “Israeli naval, aerial, and artillery shelling was targeting different places… including areas where residents were instructed by Israel to take refuge.
“Last night many residential buildings around us were bombed and an unexploded Israeli missile fell near our house of refuge.”
Ms Hussaini said she evacuated her home in devastated Gaza City on 13 October and now lives with family and 55 others in a house in central Gaza, where they face severe shortages of food and medical supplies.
A truce would be a chance to secure supplies with the flow of aid set to increase, she says, adding that the priority will be to recover the thousands of bodies thought to remain under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
“Gaza residents will finally be able to retrieve the bodies of their beloved ones from the streets and under the rubble and bury them in mass graves,” said Ms Hussaini.
Israeli forces have obstructed the work of Palestinian emergency workers attempting to recover bodies, and at times targeted them, she added.
The journalist is unsure about the value of the proposed truce. “It’s hard to describe how we see a pause of attacks and killings that would allow us a few more days to be relatively sure that we will stay alive before confronting death again,” she said.
Khalil Abu Shammala, a media consultant who was displaced from north to south Gaza, said the pause would bring some respite.
“Four days can help the people to at least breathe, and enable them to move freely,” he said.
“The humanitarian crisis is increasing, all goods are lost from the markets – even if you have money you can’t buy anything,” he added, noting that the UN, Red Cross, and other aid providers have been overwhelmed.
The crisis has led many to consider their futures in Gaza. “I think hundreds of thousands will leave if they have a chance,” said Mr Abu Shammala, adding that he is also considering leaving for the sake of his three children.
Departures from Gaza have so far been restricted to the seriously ill and dual nationals. But Mr Abu Shammala says that he has heard of cases of wealthy residents bribing Egyptian authorities to be added to the list of people allowed through the Rafah crossing.
“Some people paid $5,000 (£4,000) per person to leave,” he said. “I know someone that paid $30,000 for six family members. Those who can coordinate… have their names at the border with Egyptian officials to enable them to leave. Some people have a good network with the Egyptian government.”
Independent Palestinian sources, who did not wish to be named for security reasons, said they were familiar with the practice of paying to leave Gaza. Such cases were also reported this week by Canada’s Global News and by Al Jazeera in 2019, although denied by Egypt.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jimmy Carter was right about Israel