Ahmed al-Najjar and his family have been sleeping on the street since the start of the Hamas-Israel war last month.
"Because of the Israeli bombing of our town, Khuza’a, we were forced to move to the west of the city of Khan Younis. We live on the sidewalk and sleep on the road, enduring immense suffering," al-Najjar told Rudaw while sitting on a mattress on the sidewalk with his family.
"We suffer from diseases," he said. "I have been here for a month, sick because of the dust and car exhaust fumes."
"All my children are sick and suffer from diarrhea and fever. I had to take them to the hospital. The hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and our situation is very bad. We sleep in the street amidst dust, mosquitoes, and insects."
Schools and hospital corridors are overcrowded with families, leaving some with no choice but the street.
"We are displaced from the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis. The Israeli bombing of our homes destroyed three-quarters of the town, and this bombing forced us to flee to the west of Khan Younis. As you can see, people are sleeping on the sidewalk, on the ground, or next to the toilets," said Rasmi al-Najjar, another displaced person.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) described conditions in its 225 shelter centers as inhumane and deteriorating.
"We suffer a lot, especially our children, as they suffer from cold and diseases, especially because it is winter and we are forced to sleep on the ground without blankets or mattresses," said Ahmed Omeish, who is also living on the street. "The cold gets worse after ten at night. We also suffer from a lack of water."
On October 7, Palestinian Hamas launched an air, ground, and sea infiltration that caught Israel by surprise, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 240. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the following day that they were “embarking on a long and difficult war” with Hamas.
Frequent Israeli airstrikes have since pounded Gaza, leaving at least 10,000 dead, including scores of women and children.
