Palestinians living in seaside tent camps in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis are facing critical shortages of shelter, food, and clean water due to ongoing Israeli attacks, an enduring blockade, and forced displacement policies.
Israeli authorities have issued warnings prohibiting residents and fishermen from entering the sea.
Palestinians said they had been forced to seek refuge along the shoreline due to Israeli bombardments and were now struggling to meet basic needs under increasingly difficult conditions.
Aya Barbakh, who had taken shelter in a tent near the sea with her children, explained that their displacement was a result of the Israeli attacks.
She said that Israeli forces had distributed leaflets warning them not to enter the sea or even collect water from it.
She indicated that they used seawater for washing clothes and bathing their children, and that many of their daily needs were met through access to the sea.
She questioned how they could continue to survive if even this was denied to them.
Barbakh added that clean water was only delivered in the early morning hours, but that due to overcrowding, they often returned empty-handed.
Another resident, Nur Barbakh, stated that they had no alternative place to go.
She said that even after her 10-year-old child drowned in the sea, they remained in the area because of the ongoing conflict.
She expressed exhaustion from the war and called for its immediate end.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its killing of thousands of Palestinians.
SHOTLIST:
KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE (JULY 14, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS TOP SHOTS OF DISPLACED PALESTINIANS' TENT CITY FOR SHELTERING BY SEASIDE AFTER ISRAELI STRIKES
2. VARIOUS OF DISPLACED PALESTINIANS LIVING IN TENTS BY SEASIDE / SHIPS ANCHORED IN OPEN SEA
3. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN WOMAN BATHING HER CHILDREN IN SEA
4. VARIOUS OF WOMEN CARRYING WATER FROM SEA AND WASHING CLOTHES
5. DISPLACED PALESTINIAN WOMAN, AYA BARBAKH SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic)
6. WOMAN CARRYING RUSTY METAL SHEET WHILE CHILDREN PLAYING IN OPEN SEA
7. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN GIRL CARRYING BREAD DOUGH
8. VARIOUS OF AYA BARBAKH PREPARING BREAD AND SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic)
9. PALESTINIAN MAN PREPARING FOR FISHING
10. CHILDREN PLAYING IN SEA
11. PALESTINIAN WOMAN, NUR BARBAKH COOKING NEAR TENT (TWO SHOTS)
12. PALESTINIAN WOMAN, NUR BARBAKH, SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic)
13. BABY SLEEPING ON BARBAKH'S ARMS (TWO SHOTS)
14. CHILDREN STANDING AMONG TENTS (TWO SHOTS)
15. PALESTINIAN WOMAN FEEDING CHILDREN (TWO SHOTS)
16. PALESTINIANS CARRYING WATER FROM SEA (TWO SHOTS)
17. PALESTINIAN WOMAN AND CHILDREN WALKING IN SEA
18. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN CHILDREN PLAYING WITH WATER BY SEASIDE
19. PALESTINIAN MAN PREPARING FOR FISHING
20. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS LIVING IN TENTS BY SEASIDE KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE - JULY 14: Displaced Palestinians living in seaside tent camps in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis are facing critical shortages of shelter, food, and clean water due to ongoing Israeli attacks, an enduring blockade, and forced displacement policies.
Israeli authorities have issued warnings prohibiting residents and fishermen from entering the sea.
Israeli Army Spokesman Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents and fishermen, saying that entering the sea was prohibited.
In a statement shared on his X account, he said that due to ongoing military operations and restrictions on humanitarian aid, a severe food crisis was unfolding in the Gaza Strip, and fishing activity was banned.
He noted that tight security measures had been implemented in coastal areas and warned that anyone venturing into the sea would be putting their life at risk.
Palestinians said they had been forced to seek refuge along the shoreline due to Israeli bombardments and were now struggling to meet basic needs under increasingly difficult conditions.
Aya Barbakh, who had taken shelter in a tent near the sea with her children, explained that their displacement was a result of the Israeli attacks.
She said that Israeli forces had distributed leaflets warning them not to enter the sea or even collect water from it.
She indicated that they used seawater for washing clothes and bathing their children, and that many of their daily needs were met through access to the sea.
She questioned how they could continue to survive if even this was denied to them.
Barbakh added that clean water was only delivered in the early morning hours, but that due to overcrowding, they often returned empty-handed.
Another resident, Nur Barbakh, stated that they had no alternative place to go.
She said that even after her 10-year-old child drowned in the sea, they remained in the area because of the ongoing conflict.
She expressed exhaustion from the war and called for its immediate end.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing nearly 58,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
Writing by Nur Zeynep Dukmen
