Displaced Palestinians in central Gaza remain fearful that the war could resume, longing for stability as they struggle to find shelter and secure food.
“The war paused, but starvation is still ongoing,” said Um Yehia Shaheen, a displaced woman from Gaza City.
Some 30 people lined up in front of a charity kitchen on Friday in Deir al-Balah, carrying buckets or pots for their share of yellow rice and small chunks of meat. Children in line held bags of flatbread. Frozen meat is now available in the market, an AP journalist confirmed.
“If it wasn’t for this charity kitchen," she said, “we wouldn’t have been able to find an alternative for ourselves because everything is expensive and there are no humanitarian assistance coupons.”
Nearby, a camp for displaced Palestinians is filled with tents made from torn fabric and tarps, set against a backdrop of damaged and abandoned buildings.
“I’m scared the war would resume, and I hope the situation would improve and things get calm,” said Abdel Qader Saed, a displaced man from Jabaliya, “and that equipment to remove the rubble would be brought in so that if any of us went back home, we would be able to set up a tent for shelter.”