‘We Are Not Leaving Our Gaza’

“We are not leaving.” This is one of the most frequent comments made by Gazans that they will not exit Gaza and/or depart their destroyed homes.

Other comments are that “we are staying on the rubble of our houses” and “in our ramshackle tents no matter what,” adding “we rather die than leave Gaza.”

Since 7 October 2023 and the Israeli war onslaught on Gaza started, the number of people who left Gaza has not exceeded 100,000 people. This is out of a total population of over two million people.

And this is despite the mass slaughter and genocide perpetrated by Israel. More than 43,600 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 102,900 others injured, according to local health authorities in Gaza.

Nobody is leaving also, despite the fact that over two million people have been displaced and are leaving in displaced shelters and tents.

Such is the steadfastness of the Palestinians of Gaza in the face of the Israeli army and extremist politicians who have been forcing Gazans to leave to Sinai and Jordan through mass starving them and killing a great many of the Strip’s population.