'Somehow, we adapt': Gazans desperately waiting for shelters describe living without power, water or walls

Hundreds of thousands of homeless Palestinians struggle while aid is held up at the border

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Homeless Gazan man Sabir Noufal has been living in a burnt-out school alongside 16 relatives, with no walls, no bathroom, no running water and no power, waiting desperately for aid deliveries into the devastated enclave.

He is just one of 100 people sheltering in the decrepit structure in Jabalia, hoping he will soon be able to take refuge in a caravan due to be sent by humanitarian organisations, who have been scaling up their work while the ceasefire holds between Israel and Hamas.

“Everything around us is destruction, pulsing with pain and devastation,” said the 26-year-old, whose three-storey home was destroyed by Israeli bombing. “In winter, water leaks from everywhere, flooding our space, and our children constantly get sick from the cold.”

Widespread destruction has forced hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans to live in apocalyptic conditions with no basic amenities or a clear timeline for relief. About 280,000 Palestinian families have seen their homes destroyed by Israeli forces in the 15-month Gaza war, according to the territory's Governmental Media Office.

“We need 280,000 caravans or mobile homes to shelter these people,” Ismael Thawabta, the office's director, told The National.

But no such assistance has crossed into Gaza so far, he said. Hamas has accused Israel of blocking the entry of tens of thousands of tents and other materials for temporary shelters, an accusation that Israel has rejected.

Delivering enough shelters to Gaza has been difficult because aid workers have prioritised food, while Israeli inspections and restrictions on what can enter complicate the process.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas says Israel must allow at least 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents into Gaza during the first 42-day phase of the truce. Israel must also allow entry of equipment for rubble removal. Dozens of bulldozers, construction vehicles and lorries carrying caravans are lined up at Gaza's border with Egypt at Rafah.

A driver sits next to his lorry loaded with reconstruction equipment for Gaza at the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday. EPA

“The Gaza Strip requires 500 heavy machines, including bulldozers, excavators and cranes, to clear the massive destruction,” Mr Thawabta said. “Yet the occupation has only allowed six machines to enter, some of which are small, while others are broken and require spare parts and maintenance. This behaviour reflects a blatant disregard for the suffering and humanitarian crisis.”

Mr Noufal said he had heard talk that a caravan would arrive to shelter his family, but “the promise had so far turned out to be empty”. Daily survival is a battle. “Our suffering isn’t just about living in a burnt-down place – it’s present in every aspect of life. Nothing is easy,” he added.

The school was meant to be a temporary refuge but many inside fear they may be stuck there indefinitely. Musab Abu Sultan, a 38-year-old father of six, sought shelter there after exhausting all other options.

“Our home, like so many others, was completely destroyed. We searched everywhere for a place to stay until tents or caravans arrived, but we found nothing. Eventually, we had no choice but to take shelter in the nearby school, even though it had been burnt and destroyed by the Israeli army,” he said.

“Along with some neighbours, we cleaned the burnt area, put up tarpaulin as makeshift walls, and tried to make the space somewhat liveable, at least temporarily.”

But the temporary is turning into permanent, he lamented. “So far, we haven’t seen any relief efforts reaching us – no new camps, no rubble removal, no caravans. We are starting to feel that this destroyed, crumbling place – where people wonder how we even manage to survive – will be our reality,” he said. “Somehow, we are adapting to it.”