UN News Tents have become a prolonged daily way of life for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, amid the collapse of infrastructure and the absence of any clear prospect of returning to destroyed homes.

Israeli forces continue to push Palestinians into ever-smaller areas of the Gaza Strip while destroying civilian infrastructure and attacking displacement sites, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, warned on Friday amid concerns of ethnic cleansing.

OHCHR said that Israel has stated that it aims to increase the area of military deployment to 70 per cent of Gaza’s territory. 

The relentless contraction of space has caused new displacement in areas adjacent to the “yellow line” demarcation boundary.

Military expansion, reported attacks

Over the past two weeks, OHCHR documented the westward expansion of Israeli military deployment areas in Al Shujaiyeh, Gaza City, and in three locations in Middle Gaza – eastern Al Bureij, eastern Deir Al-Balah and eastern Al Maghazi.

In Al Shujaiyeh, at least two Israeli attacks were reported on displacement camps, while forces reportedly used explosive robots to detonate the few buildings left standing in the area. 

OHCHR said that it received reports that on 25 October, an Israeli drone dropped munitions on tents sheltering displaced families at Al Shujaiyeh junction near the yellow line and the resulting fire burned for five hours. 

As a result, 200 families comprising 800 people – mostly women, children and older persons – were displaced, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

Little hope of return

“The nightmare of displacement in Gaza is both acute and chronic,” said Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).  

“Those displaced before the announcement of a ceasefire have little to no prospect of return to the areas they fled, most of which are inaccessible because they fall beyond the so-called yellow line. And they continue to be displaced again and again.” 

OHCHR said that as an occupying power, Israel must cease the forcible transfer of Palestinians within the Gaza Strip, noting that this is a war crime that may also amount to a crime against humanity.  

Israel also must facilitate Palestinians’ safe and dignified return to their homes and the areas they fled.  

Instead, its military operations have displaced nearly the entire population multiple times in addition to damaging and destroying buildings, structures and civilian infrastructure.

Shelter materials restricted

OHCHR said that Israeli forces appear to treat the yellow line as a kill zone, preventing Palestinians from returning to what is left of their homes on the other side.  

Furthermore, the displacement crisis is worsened by the restrictions Israel has imposed on the entry of shelter-related humanitarian assistance.  

“There must be an end to this suffering. This is the fourth year of displacement for most Palestinians in Gaza, the fourth winter in tents too flimsy to withstand the rain, and they are still under fire through it all,” said Mr. Sunghay. “Let this be the last.”

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