With the sound of Israeli strikes raining down on their tiny enclave and the stench of sewage filling streets, most of the 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip have no hope and no escape. The Palestinian territory has been under siege since Saturday in a near-constant bombardment that Gazan health officials say killed over 1,000. The blitz is retaliation for a devastating attack on Israel by Gaza’s ruling group, Hamas, which the Israeli military has dubbed Operation Cast Lead.
The heaviest bombardment has smashed homes and hospitals, killed civilians in villages, and displaced thousands. Hundreds of people are trapped inside their shattered buildings or huddled in U.N.-run schools, where the sound of incoming missiles frightens young children.
A Gaza resident named Hanan Al-Attar, 14, said she and her family rushed from their home with only the clothes on their backs. “My uncle went back to get my clothes and was killed,” she told reporters. “They bombed the houses on top of civilians.”
At least 220,000 people are sheltering in 92 U.N.-run schools, which could rise as the crisis continues. Many families have stayed at school for days. Some have gathered in classrooms, cramming together on mattresses or blankets. Others have slept outside, bracing for the dreaded sounds of rocket strikes, often followed by airstrikes.
A Palestinian Red Crescent official said hospitals and other medical facilities running on generators could run out of fuel in the coming days, creating a public health crisis. He also feared that sewage treatment plants would shut down and lead to a growing buildup of waste and disease. Residents say sewage trucks cannot reach many flooded areas, so they’re hauling away waste.
Some of those displaced are from Israel, and Israel has warned it may invade the territory to hunt down surviving militants. But human rights groups fear that without a more vital call for restraint from senior US officials, the Gaza crisis could resemble war zones such as Aleppo in Syria’s civil war or Mariupol in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.
If Israel does invade, it must decide whether to leave a weakened Hamas in place or overthrow it. Neither option is appealing to the international community, which has condemned Israel’s actions and demanded an immediate ceasefire.
During an emotional appeal to his party supporters, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed to stop the attacks from Gaza, saying Hamas and its “incessant terror” must be destroyed. He promised to deal a decisive blow, adding that Hamas will “bear the inevitable price for its crimes.” But critics say it’s unclear how long Hamas will be able to maintain control of Gaza and whether it will be willing to stop the violence in return for an end to the siege. The Israeli government and its allies have slapped Hamas with a total blockade on food, water, and electricity and cut off communications links to the territory.
