In Gaza City, I Have Surrendered to an Unknown Fate
By Rasha Abu Jalal on 30 Aug 25 vía Drop Site vía thefreeonline no
I’m camped out on the rubble of my home as the Israeli army gets closer every day
Like so many other Palestinians in Gaza, I have ended up in a tent—the enduring symbol of displacement. I am camped out on the rubble with my husband and five children in western Gaza City.
Tents erected on the rubble in western Gaza City. August 28, 2025. (Photo by Rasha Abu Jalal)
GAZA CITY—We refuse to move south. We have made our decision.
The merciless Israeli military machine is bearing down on us, getting closer every day and there is nothing we can do. But we won’t leave here.
Not long ago, we were living in my friend’s house in northern Gaza City. Our home was destroyed by Israel a few weeks into the war, in early November 2023. My friend fled to Egypt in December 2023.
Not long ago, we were living in my friend’s house in northern Gaza City. Our home was destroyed by Israel a few weeks into the war, in early November 2023. My friend fled to Egypt in December 2023.
But earlier this month, the Israeli military began to implement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to invade, seize, and ethnically cleanse Gaza City and force over a million Palestinians southward.
The Free 