Displaced Palestinians condemn Netanyahu’s ‘shocking’ Gaza reoccupation plan

DDM News

(DDM) – Displaced Palestinians in Gaza have reacted with outrage and disbelief to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that Israel intends to reoccupy the enclave.

The comments, made during a Fox News interview on Thursday before a key Israeli security cabinet meeting, have deepened fears among war-weary residents and prompted accusations that the plan ignores the humanitarian catastrophe already unfolding.

DDM gathered that Netanyahu’s proposal would involve full military control of Gaza, a move he claims is necessary to “remove Hamas” before transferring authority to a civilian administration unaligned with the group or any faction calling for Israel’s destruction.

For displaced Palestinians, however, the announcement is seen as both politically provocative and practically meaningless.

“It’s like there’s nothing left to occupy,” said Mahmoud al-Qurashli, who was forced from his home in eastern Gaza and is now among hundreds of thousands crammed into the western part of Gaza City.

He explained that vast swathes of the enclave have been reduced to rubble, leaving people with nowhere to return even if hostilities ended immediately.

“At this point, there’s no difference anymore, whether he occupies it or not,” al-Qurashli added.

The sentiment was echoed by Raed Abu Mohammed, displaced from the Shejaiya neighborhood and living in a tent for the past five months.

He described Netanyahu’s words as “shocking” given that many residents had only recently begun to find a fragile sense of stability in displacement camps.

“We’re living under occupation from the air, the land, and the sea,” Mohammed said.

“But from our side, life had just started to move on. We had begun to settle a bit in our places.”

He acknowledged the continued hardship, including persistent shortages of food, water, and shelter, but stressed the resilience of the people.

“Yes, there’s suffering. Yes, there’s death. But we’re still clinging to life,” he said.

Netanyahu’s plan also faces opposition from within Israel, where families of hostages still held in Gaza and members of the defense establishment warn that expanded military operations could endanger the captives’ lives.

The security cabinet meeting, which began Thursday evening, is expected to deliberate on whether to proceed with the takeover despite these warnings.

Humanitarian groups say that reoccupation would not address the dire crisis on the ground.

The United Nations reported this week that 11,877 children under five in Gaza were acutely malnourished in July — the highest monthly total ever recorded in the territory.

Of those, 2,562 were severely malnourished, with 40 hospitalized in stabilization centers.

Aid agencies say they have been able to reach only a fraction of those in need due to access restrictions and ongoing hostilities.

As the Israeli leadership debates its next move, displaced Gazans say the political maneuvers in Jerusalem feel distant from the realities of life, and survival, in the war-torn strip.

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