Desperate, Gazans sell clothing salvaged from rubble

Makeshift markets now sell salvaged clothing, including items retrieved from destroyed homes. Traders display worn shoes, shirts, and sweaters on dusty blankets, catering to a desperate population.

One trader promotes his goods as European, while others, like displaced Palestinian Louay Abdel-Rahman, retain some items for personal use. “The seasons have changed from summer to winter, and we need clothing,” he said.

Palestinian kids sort through trash at a landfill in Zawaida, Gaza Strip. (AP photo)

Humanitarian crisis draws global criticism

Earlier, Pope Francis urged the international community to examine whether Israel’s military offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. His remarks mark his strongest critique yet of Tel Aviv’s actions in the ongoing conflict.

Human Rights Watch, in a report released Thursday, accused Israel of causing forced displacement in Gaza on a scale constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity. “Forced displacement has been widespread, and the evidence shows it has been systematic and part of a state policy. Such acts also constitute crimes against humanity,” the report stated.

Israel dismissed the report, accusing the organization of using rhetoric that is “completely false and detached from reality.”

Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has left an estimated 42 million tons of debris across Gaza, destroying over 128,000 buildings, according to UN data. (Reuters photo)

War leaves Gaza in ruins

Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has left an estimated 42 million tons of debris across Gaza, destroying over 128,000 buildings, according to UN data. Beneath the wreckage lies mangled clothing, now a lifeline for many. In April, the UN estimated the cleanup effort could take 14 years and cost $1.2 billion.

For families like Saeed Doula’s, the lack of aid is dire. “All our children only have short-sleeve clothing, and nobody is helping them,” said the father of seven.

As winter approaches and resources dwindle, Gaza’s battered residents continue to sift through the remnants of their lives in search of means to endure.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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