Water shortage | In southern Gaza, “you either shower or drink”

(Rafah) In the south of the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have taken refuge, Assem faces a daily dilemma: take a shower or save water for drinking.

Dozens of Palestinians queue outside toilets, many having not showered in days after Israel cut off water, electricity and food in the wake of the deadly Israeli attack. Hamas against Israeli territory on October 7.

“Water is a problem,” said Assem, who hosted “guests” from the Rimal and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods who had fled Israeli bombardments in the northern Gaza Strip at his house in Khan Yunis.

“Every day we think about how to save water. If we take a shower, we won’t drink water,” regrets this resident, who did not wish to give his last name.

Ahmed Hamid took refuge a few days ago with his wife and seven of his children in Rafah after fleeing Gaza City.

“We haven’t had a shower for days, and even to go to the toilet you have to queue,” laments this 43-year-old father.

With the prospect of a ground offensive against the Palestinian territory, the army on Saturday called on the civilians of northern Gaza – 1.1 million people out of a total of 2.4 million inhabitants – not to “delay” to take refuge in the south.

“Humiliated”

“There is no food” and the prices of the few products available have soared, complains Ahmad Hamid. “All we find is canned goods, tuna and cheese.”

“I feel like a heavy burden and I can’t do anything. »

AFP journalists saw thousands of people on the roads as well as in Rafah and Khan Younes, sleeping in hospital gardens, in UNRWA schools, the UN refugee agency, or hosted by relatives, crammed into cramped apartments.

Since the unprecedented Hamas attack which left more than 1,400 dead according to the authorities, Israel has reinforced the siege of the Gaza Strip, where Israeli strikes have left 2,670 dead according to local authorities.

On Sunday, Israel said it had resumed water distribution in the southern Gaza Strip. The municipality of Bani Souhaila has confirmed, but it is not known whether this is the case in all localities in the south.

Mona Abdel Hamid, 55, took refuge with relatives in Rafah, but found herself as a “guest” in the home of people she does not know.

“I feel humiliated and embarrassed. We don’t have many clothes, most of them are dirty and there is no water to wash them. There is no electricity, water or internet. I feel like I’m losing my humanity. »

“Where is humanity”

Sabah Mousbeh, 50, found refuge with friends in Rafah with around twenty of her relatives, including her husband and daughter.

“The worst and most dangerous thing is that we can’t find water. None of us take baths because water is scarce,” she says.

Although tens of thousands of people have fled to the south of the territory, the Israeli air force has continued to target certain southern areas.

On Sunday, the areas of Rafah and Khan Younes were bombed.

“Look at the massive destruction. They claim there is terrorism here,” shouts Alaa al-Hams, pointing to the rubble in a district of Rafah targeted by a strike.

“Where is the humanity they talk about? Where are human rights? Here, all are civilians, unrelated to any group, but they are dead [dans les raids]. They are all dead,” he says.

In the middle of the ruins of her house in Rafah, Samira Kassab fumes. ” Where are we going ? Where are the Arab countries? We have spent our lives in the diaspora. Our house, which housed all my children, was bombed.”

“We slept in the street and we have nothing left,” she laments. “My daughter has cancer, I can’t take her to the hospital and I myself suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes.”

Despite everything, she pulled herself together and made the victory sign, her grandchildren by her side. “I won’t leave, no matter what, even if I die. We beg bread from neighbors, but we will not give up a grain of our land. »