Central Gaza Strip – As the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas lasts for what could be its final day, many displaced Palestinians staying in the town of Deir el-Balah have taken advantage of the lull in Israeli bombardment and headed to the Mediterranean Sea.
On the shore, the boys pile their bodies with sand and race to see who will finish first. Some children take turns riding the swings, their first expression of childhood in nearly two months.
As the waves crash onto the shore and recede, Ahmad al-Toum breathes in the breeze, his shoulders relaxing.
“The sea means a lot to me,” he says. “It’s a great release for everyone who felt suppressed and surrounded by the psychological pressure of not being able to ensure the safety and security of their own family.”
The 28-year-old man from the coastal town of al-Sudaniyeh, northwest of Gaza, has been displaced since October 10 and lives with his extended family in a school run by the United Nations.
“People who live by the sea know it much more than their own homes,” he said.
Al-Toum hasn’t showered in 20 days and is happy to escape the “sickness and dirt” of the school shelter.
“I wanted to take the children for a change of scenery, to wash them in the sea, to get away from the psychology of war,” he says.
“Running into the sea, screaming, shouting – letting it all out so you have the energy to keep persevering.”
“It has been a terrible time, but we are stronger than the Israeli occupation,” he said.
After Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack on Israeli towns and military bases in southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people, Israel launched its most devastating attacks to date on the Gaza Strip.
In more than 50 days, Israeli forces have killed more than 14,800 people, including 6,150 children. More than 7,000 other people – including 4,700 women and children – are missing, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes.
According to Salama Marouf, head of the government media office in Gaza, Israel dropped 40,000 tons of explosives on the strip.
Abu Anas, from the northern town of Beit Hanoon, describes the sea as “our outlet, our only escape.”
“We came here for our children, to change their mood and cheer them up as they live in fear and anxiety with the incessant noise of artillery shelling and bombs,” the 35-year-old said. .
“We don’t know if the war will resume… we just want to breathe a little. »
