Khan Younis, Sep 18: Ne’man Abu Jarad and his family have been displaced for the 11th time since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
Forced to flee once again from Gaza City due to escalating bombardments and a planned Israeli invasion, the family has now relocated to barren land near Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
The Abu Jarads, like countless other Palestinian families, have been uprooted repeatedly over nearly two years.
Their lives are marked by a cycle of temporary shelter, brief moments of routine, and constant fear.
During a brief ceasefire earlier in 2025, they returned to their damaged home in northern Gaza. But soon after, renewed attacks forced them out again.
Their youngest daughter, 8-year-old Lana, has known nothing but war and displacement.
Despite brief excitement over starting school in Gaza City, Israeli strikes forced them to flee just days after her first classes.
Now, in their new camp, Lana struggles with the discomforts of tent life and separation from friends.
Her parents worry about the long-term psychological impact on her and her siblings.
Conditions in the new location are dire. The family lacks basic resources—water, food, internet, and privacy.
They walk long distances for water and communication, and feel unsafe near Israeli military positions.
An aid shortage has left them hungry, and they are now being threatened with eviction by someone claiming ownership of the land.
Despite their efforts to create some normalcy—setting up a makeshift kitchen, trying to maintain routines—the family lives in constant anxiety, with no stability or support.
Ne’man, once proud of his close-knit family, now fears the emotional toll will tear them apart.
“We’re not being displaced, we’re dying,” he said. Exhausted physically, mentally, and financially, the Abu Jarads fear they won’t survive much longer under these conditions.
Their story reflects the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where repeated displacement and lack of aid are pushing families to the brink of collapse. (AP)
