Residents of Gaza have met Israel’s occupation plan with a mix of fear, exhaustion and defiance.
According to Israeli media reports, the occupation will begin with the mass expulsion of around one million Palestinians from Gaza City, followed by a siege and ground invasion.
While Israeli officials are using the term “takeover”, local media confirm it amounts to a full military occupation.
In the war-torn city, the announcement on Friday sparked confusion and dread.
“They have bombed us, starved us and killed us. What else is there more to do?” wondered Mustafa Ja’rour, who was displaced several times earlier in the war.
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“It’s like a saying we have: blinding a cyclops,” he said bitterly. “The only thing left is for them to nuke us so that we can be done with it.”
Ja’rour said he sees no safe way forward.
“If the invasion happens, there will be a million people here with nowhere to go,” he told Middle East Eye. “If the bombing worsens and they force us to leave, I’ll go, because staying means death.”
Others refuse to consider leaving.
‘Even if the army enters the heart of the city… I will not leave my homeland’
– Abed al-Daqour, Gaza City resident
The earlier displacement to southern Gaza left many living in dire conditions.
Now, some prefer to stay in Gaza City, even with nothing.
“The idea of leaving Gaza is unacceptable to me,” said Abed al-Daqour.
“Even if the army enters the heart of the city, I’ll move from one area to another, but I will not leave my homeland.
“It’s terrifying, but we hope it won’t come to that.”
No means of survival
Mahmoud Mahmoud, another resident, said that even if people wished to flee, the situation now is far worse than it was at the start of the war.
At that time, people still had some money, some means of transportation, and places like Rafah or Khan Younis to seek shelter, he said.
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But after 22 months of relentless Israeli bombing and destruction, none of that remains.
“Rafah has been wiped out, Khan Younis is destroyed and we’re exhausted – financially, emotionally and mentally,” Mahmoud said.
“We, as unarmed civilians, need a solution. We can’t bear this any longer. We are being punished in the harshest possible way.”
The Israeli plan to “take over” Gaza – widely seen as a euphemism for occupation – has drawn international condemnation.
Several European countries, including the UK, France and Germany, have criticised the proposed action and urged Israel to reconsider.
Germany, Israel’s closest ally in Europe, has responded by halting further military exports of arms that could be used in the Gaza Strip.
