Gaza, April 21, 2026 (WAFA) – Reem Sweisi
The displaced people of the “Halawa” camp in the town of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip live a daily reality burdened with fear and danger, as the camp is located close to what is known as the “yellow line,” where random shooting hardly ever stops, turning the lives of hundreds of families into something resembling a permanent existence on the edge of the abyss .
In this camp, which houses about 1,800 displaced families, the details of daily life are intertwined with scenes of constant danger, as its residents face a constant threat around the clock, amidst frequent incidents of killing and injury, making them like live targets in the line of fire of the Israeli occupation, according to testimonies told by the displaced people there .
We are afraid to go out at night
Zahra Nasra, a 45-year-old mother of four who was displaced to the camp a year ago after her home in Jabalia was destroyed, says: “Our life here is a war of nerves. We cook in fear and we sleep in fear, because the indiscriminate shooting never stops, especially at night, which forces us to prevent our children from going out after sunset.”
She adds: “More than one person has been killed and others wounded inside the camp as a result of the bullets. Isn’t what we suffered from the consequences of the war of extermination enough?” before concluding: “We are forced to live with this reality; we have no other choice . “
Our children are forbidden from playing football.
For his part, citizen Imad Asaliya (40 years old), a father of three children who was displaced from the town of Beit Lahia, describes life in the camp as “living under fire,” saying: “We are trying to live our lives in light of a deteriorating security situation. We fear for ourselves and our children, but we have no choice . “
He adds: “My children love playing football, but we are afraid that the ball will go towards the yellow line, and that will be met with gunfire or shelling,” concluding his statement: “We are living a continuous nightmare, and we do not know when it will end, as life in the tents seems long . ”
The “Halawa” camp is located only 300 to 400 meters from the “yellow line”, and was established in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross .
For his part, camp representative Marwan Radwan says: “We are constantly surprised by heavy and indiscriminate gunfire directed at the tents of the displaced, sometimes resulting in deaths and serious injuries . ” He adds: “Fear pervades the lives of people here, amidst the sounds of shrapnel, sirens, and relentless artillery fire . “
He continues: “A few days ago, the child Adham Halawa (13 years old) was martyred after being shot in the head while filling water containers at night . ”
He points out that they are constantly instructing the displaced people to exercise extreme caution and avoid approaching the “yellow line,” and to work to keep the camp free of any manifestations that could be used as a pretext to target it .
On April 19 , Khalil Nasr, 24, died from a gunshot wound to the head after being transferred to the Arab National Hospital “Baptist” in eastern Gaza, while others were injured in shooting incidents inside the camp .
Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 11, 784 citizens have been killed and 2,214 others have been injured, bringing the total number of Israeli casualties since October 7, 2023 to 72,560 martyrs and 172,317 injuries.
According to UN reports, displaced people in the Gaza Strip are living in dire humanitarian conditions as a result of widespread and repeated displacement and the destruction of infrastructure. More than 1.9 million Palestinians, over 90% of the Strip’s population, have been forced to flee their homes, many multiple times, with no safe havens to which they can return. Tens of thousands are living in overcrowded shelters, including schools run by UNRWA, where an estimated 67,000 displaced people are living in dozens of collective shelters amid severe shortages of food, water, and basic services.
The United Nations also points out that displacement conditions are characterized by severe overcrowding, widespread poverty and disease, deteriorating health services, as well as profound psychological effects, especially on children living in an unstable environment lacking the most basic necessities for a decent life.
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/ AF.
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