DaysofPal- Hundreds of displaced Palestinians in the Zeitoun district, southeast of Gaza City, staged a protest to call on the international community to protect them from ongoing Israeli gunfire and worsening humanitarian conditions.
The demonstration took place at the Dar Al-Salam displacement camp under the slogan “We will burn our tents before they burn us,” drawing large participation from residents of southern Zeitoun and surrounding camps.
Community leaders, elders, women, and children gathered, holding banners denouncing the dire and deteriorating living conditions.
The protest was framed as an urgent humanitarian appeal amid global silence regarding their suffering.
Many described life in the camps as a “slow death,” with tents offering little protection from shelling and a severe lack of basic necessities.
Camp director Mohammed Al-Hujain expressed deep concern over the security situation, stating that fears for residents’ lives have reached a critical level due to repeated and direct targeting. He reported that more than ten displaced individuals were injured by gunfire from Israeli forces positioned east of the area.
He added that bullets frequently penetrate the fragile fabric tents, leaving families exposed at all times. “Every displaced person inside their tent has effectively become a target,” he said, warning that the current conditions amount to a death sentence for hundreds of vulnerable civilians, particularly children, women, and the elderly.
In a statement delivered on behalf of camp residents, community representative Khaled Ismail said the suffering has become unbearable after months of hardship under conditions lacking even the most basic standards of living.
He explained that the tents, originally intended as places of refuge, have turned into spaces of fear, deprivation, and humiliation due to the absence of sustainable solutions and limited humanitarian response.
Residents also criticized what they described as neglect and marginalization by international organizations.
According to the statement, families are not only facing the threat of gunfire but are also struggling with acute shortages of drinking water, food supplies, and medical care.
The area lacks even minimal healthcare services, particularly for those recently wounded.
Participants added that their tents are severely worn out, offering no protection from extreme weather conditions and failing to preserve privacy or human dignity.
At the conclusion of the demonstration, protesters set fire to one of the deteriorating tents in the center of the camp, a symbolic act reflecting their frustration and rejection of the current conditions.
They said the gesture was intended to send a message to the world that these tents, devoid of safety and dignity, are already “burning” families through suffering and deprivation before any actual flames reach them.
Residents called for urgent intervention to establish protective sand barriers around the camp to shield them from direct gunfire. They also demanded consistent supplies of water and food, access to essential medicines, and the replacement of worn-out tents with safer, weather-resistant shelters.
Additionally, they urged improvements to the collapsed infrastructure and the establishment of emergency educational facilities for children.
They called on human rights organizations to visit the area and document conditions firsthand.
Concluding their appeal, residents emphasized that their demands are not extraordinary but reflect fundamental rights guaranteed under international law: security, food, water, and human dignity.
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