In interviews with The Post over the last week, Gazans described wrestling with agonizing choices over whether to leave, where to go and how to survive.
On May 13, Palestinians sit in nearly deserted tent towns in Rafah. Thousands have fled this southern Gaza city since Israel began a military advance in May.
On Tuesday, the family secured a coveted and costly ride to Khan Younis, but decided against going when relatives warned about conditions there. Forty-year-old Wissam scooped up his children and fled from Rafah last week. He spoke to The Post on the condition that only his first name be used as he feared for his safety.
Wissam found none of that when he arrived in Mawasi. Unable to secure a tent — which are expensive and hard to come by — he devised a makeshift shelter out of sticks and blankets. It is sweltering in the sun and they only spend the nights inside.The close quarters and lack of sanitation are likely to be a breeding ground for infectious diseases, health groups have warned, but Wissam said the closest clinic is miles away.
Humanitarian operations in Gaza are “stuck” and “unplannable,” U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said Thursday. Famine, he said, is an “immediate” danger. Gazans unable to flee Rafah by foot have few transport options. Fuel prices have soared due to shortages. A ride out of the city can cost at least $200 and often much more, according to residents and Palestinian drivers, whose numbers are circulated on Telegram by displaced families.Of 14 numbers called, The Post could only reach three drivers. Two said they could no longer offer rides — one had his truck battery stolen, another couldn’t afford fuel.
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