The so -called “Netzarim Corridor” was very recently in the news, as it was “opened” in the long -awaited return of the Palestinians to the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Half a million Palestinians have returned to their homes – most of them only find rubble. Then on January 29, the United States envoy to the Middle East visited Steve Witkev, “Netzarim”, to become the first American official to take the soil of Ghazan in more than a decade.

Foreign media spoke at length of this “strategic corridor” or “buffer zone”, as they call it, and its benefit to the Israeli “military operations” and the Palestinian “control”. But for us, people who live on its suburbs, Netzarim was a live nightmare. I have caused unbearable pain and shocks on my family and thousands of other Palestinians.

Netzarim is not a corridor; It is a major seizure of lands by killing the Palestinian people and destroying their homes in Nusiirat and Bureij camps for refugees, giving neighborhoods, Azker, Zaitoun, AD-DIK, and others. It is not some smart military strategy; There was and still is another way to intimidate the people of Gaza.

In the early days of the war, we were not aware that the areas near our house were chosen to create this “corridor”. The air strikes were continuing, as the demolition of everything was on their way – homes, schools and gardens – without looking at whether or not people were at home. The Israeli army was exterminating everything on its way, whether it was a stone or a person.

Most of the air attacks occurred at night, leaving us unable to sleep, Waiting continuously For the next explosion. The sky was lighting in white or red, and we would cover our ear and hide, knowing that the explosion was coming, but it was not sure of its proximity. Based on the sound of the explosion, we will try to guess the type of missiles or weapons used – drone, F16, F35, Apache Helicopter, or Tank – and the location that struck it, home or agricultural land.

This is how war and control over our nights. Darkness will start fear and anxiety. Children were passing by the arms of their mothers, for fear of the sounds of explosions.

As part of the preparation for the establishment of the “corridor”, the Israeli army bombed all the long buildings around us. One of these was the house of our five -storey neighbor, which was wounded in the middle of the day. The explosion was so strong that it destroyed two houses completely, partially caused it to other damage, and the front part of our house was demolished, as our “safe room” was present.

We have chosen it as “safe” because it was far from another building whose owners received a warning from the Israelis that it would be targeted. Therefore, this room became the place where we believed that we were “safe” until the shock wave of this explosion collapsed on its outer wall, leaving us with varying degrees of injury. I escaped from bruises and cuts on my head, but my brother was severely injured and internally bleeding, while some of my brother’s daughters and my brother had broken skulls and broken bones.

When we realized that this day became dangerous like the night, we decided to leave. We resorted to Al -Aqsa Hospital in Deir al -Asr, pending improving the situation or the end of the war. But we left our hearts at home. For us, even safety does not mean anything compared to the house.

After one month, we went back to our house, hoping to restore some feeling of normal life. But there was nothing. The Israeli army was working hard to expand its “corridor” in the areas north of the Nawwayer camp, such as AZ-Zahra and Mughraqa.

As part of this effort, the Israeli forces regularly invaded the northern region of Nuseirat. The familiar sound of the air strikes was accompanied by tank roar and unusual military vehicles. With every small progress, the shooting erupted violently and randomly, while drones hovering near the windows, listening to any sound. We did not understand the purpose of all this, but we knew that we were in danger. We were lying on the floor, turning off the lights to avoid we noticed it, and we will not end up that we will all wake up in the morning, alive.

When our daily life collapsed under the weight of the constant fear, even the simplest routine disappeared. My family and I used to enjoy drinking coffee on our roof, and watching children playing on the street. Every time we tried to sit on the roof, we approach the drones from above and will intensify artillery shelling, forcing us to return inside the house for fear.

In the end, we had to stop sitting on the surface completely. The same ceiling has become a dangerous place, even for basic tasks such as filling water tanks. We are forced to use utensils and pans to store water to meet our daily needs.

Just as we started adapting to the situation, in December 2023, The Israeli army issued an order To evacuate the entire area. Initially, we thought that things could not get worse, so we decided, along with the displaced families who remain with us – my aunt’s family, my uncle, and my sisters – to stay at home and stick to them.

But things get worse. Exit during the day became dangerous as the night, as drones were constantly dropped in the streets and main markets. Our neighbors began to leave one after another, and Nusiirat began to turn into a ghost city.

At night, tanks moved to the main streets, shooting shells in homes. Apache helicopters flew into the sky of the area, and photographed everywhere. The families who stayed with us escaped, we left alone to confront this nightmare.

We finally decided to resort to UNRWA school near our house, believing that it would be safe, but it was not. The Israeli tanks soon advanced, surrounded the area, and left us trapped.

We had to choose: staying in school, which is no longer protected, or fleeing south to his head or monastery like anyone else. We were four women, a 11-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy, who was still suffering from his injury, and an old man-our father-who was exhausted in an attempt to keep us safe and feed. We had no choice but to go to his rack.

After spending a whole month in his Rafah, we decided to return to our house; We heard that the situation was improving. But it was not. The “Netzarim Corridor” was greater than before, where more Palestinian homes were devoted. The Israeli army destroyed the homes on the northern border in Nawyar to secure a road for its forces to enter and leave the camp whenever they wanted.

The incursions have become a daily reality. Suddenly, we used to hear the sound of the tanks, getting more sound and louder, followed by the publication of all kinds of weapons and aircraft. They were falling the torches over our homes to light the area, and watching any movement. We were sitting in constant fear, and trying to guess to what extent they would advance this time. We relied on vehicle sounds to find out their sites. After that, we hear the terrifying sound of a shell that is released from a tank, waiting for a house beating. Every time, we were afraid to be ours.

In the neighborhood, families were calling for help from the Red Crescent to evacuate the injured, as leaving to the house was almost impossible. Ambulance cars were rarely allowed to enter, and the injured were left to bleed to death, as they begged the world to save them. People will die while trying to bring bread and water to their children; It will be targeted without mercy.

We were sitting for hours in this nightmare, not sure that the raid would end. When the forces finally started to retreat, Apache helicopters were revolving around, and fired random to cover their withdrawal. It seems that all this has no purpose but to intimidate us, to ensure that fear will control us, and to clarify that moving north means death.

The situation remained as it is for a year. The ceasefire on January 15 was supposed to end, but he did not. Even after I entered into force, shelling and bombing continues and the demolitions do not stop. Quadcopters is still hovering around our homes at night.

Only last week, the Israeli army bombed a bulldozer, in an attempt to remove a car stuck on the road in Nawihara. Its driver was killed. The Israelis also targeted an animal cart, killing a five -year -old girl and wounding others, in the western part of the camp.

Two weeks after the ceasefire, we still live in fear. We still do not know when and if the Israelis will completely withdraw from their “pass.” But the pictures of people returning to the north gave us the hope that Netzarim Nightmare will end soon, and we will also feel comfortable.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editorial island.