Hunger is ravaging all areas of the Gaza Strip

Umm Muhammad: I struggle every day to get one loaf of bread. I wish we died in our homes, it would be more honorable than this humiliation.

Abu Youssef: Everyone is fighting for their livelihood. Either they kill us and spare us or they free us from the injustice we are living in.

Umm Alaa: I go at dawn to stand in line in front of the bakery... but one loaf is not enough for my children and grandchildren

"We are hungry... we are even deprived of food," with these words, "Umm Muhammad" Masoud summed up her suffering in obtaining bread, after standing for long hours in front of the bakery in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

At the door of the bakery, dozens of citizens stand for long hours in order to obtain a single loaf of bread, with which they can satisfy their families’ hunger. However, they often return home without bread, as a result of the great crowding and jostling in front of the bakery.

"Umm Muhammad", who was standing in the women's line, told "I" and "Quds.com" about her and her family's suffering: "We were displaced from Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip after the occupation bombed us and destroyed our homes, to Deir al-Balah. I struggle every day to get a single bundle," and she added, "I wish we had died in our homes, it would be more honorable than the humiliation we are living."

Despite having cancer and not taking the necessary medications and supplements, she stands in front of the bakery for long hours. She adds: “I have to stand to satisfy the hunger of my children and my daughter’s children, as there is no food or flour in the markets.”

A loaf of bread costs 3 shekels in the bakery and 15 outside.

As for a loaf of bread, Umm Muhammad cannot buy it from outside the bakery, because of its high price. She continues: “A loaf of bread inside the bakery costs three shekels, and outside they sell it for 15 shekels, and I cannot buy it at that price.”

Umm Mohammed despaired after all the women gathered around her, as she was unable to buy the loaf of bread she needed. She added: “We, the people, are victims, and no one is looking for us. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.”

Abu Youssef: Everyone is fighting for their livelihood. Either they kill us and spare us or they free us from the injustice we are living in.

No one sees our suffering

In the opposite queue, Abu Yousef Ghaban stands for more than four hours to get a loaf of bread. He tells Al-Quds.com: “Since dawn, I have been waiting for my turn to no avail. People are on top of each other, and everyone is fighting for their livelihood, and no one sees our suffering.”

The biggest suffering is waiting for long hours and getting a limited amount of bread, which is not enough for the family. Abu Youssef continues: “I am only allowed to buy one loaf, and if I want to buy again, I have to stand in line again.”

He adds: “One loaf of bread is not enough for my family of 10 people. We need four loaves a day.”

Abu Youssef expressed his frustration at the bitter situation he and his family were living in, saying: “Either they kill us and let us go...or they free us from the injustice we are living in.”

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has increased the tragedy and severity of poverty; many citizens cannot buy bread for their families, not to mention the lack of job opportunities.

I want to take out a loan to buy bread

“I need to take out a loan to buy bread,” said Umm Alaa Bakr, expressing her inability to buy a loaf of bread for her family members, after their circumstances became difficult due to the lack of a source of income to support them.

“I go at dawn to stand in line at the bakery. After a few hours, I get one bundle, but it is not enough for my children and young grandchildren,” Umm Alaa told Quds.com. “I cannot buy it from outside, as its price is very high and I do not have a steady source of income.”

Umm Alaa faces a daily battle in the bread line. She says: “I fainted many times, especially since I have a heart condition and cannot stand for long hours.”

She added: "Many times I miss my turn because of the crowding of women and children, not to mention the problems that occur between people and the fear that I will be harmed."

Since the beginning of October 2024, the Israeli occupation has continued to close the Kerem Shalom crossing, preventing the entry of food supplies, vegetables, and the like into the markets of the Gaza Strip, deliberately using starvation as a weapon to strangle citizens.