Two years ago, Gaza’s biggest city spread to life. Classes were plagued by school children, markets were full of shoppers, and beachside cafes provided rest for those who escaped the stress of the besieged enclave.
Gaza City boasts a rich history, has lived for thousands of years and is shaped by successive acquisitions from ancient civilizations. It serves as an important landing site for Palestinians who were evacuated during Israel’s establishment in 1948, and the site, which is millions of years old, records its past.
It was therefore not surprising that when the Islamic extremist group Hamas seized control of the strip in 2007, it effectively chose Gaza city as capital.
The years of conflict, crippling blockades and Hamas’ dictatorial rules have stoked lives for the Palestinians. However, institutions established by extremists with the help of regional governments such as Qatar and the robust UN aid system have given some structure to the strip’s tired population.
With the established underground smuggling system, Gaza city gave it a taste of the outside world in the siege of land, sky and sea imposed by its Israeli and Egyptian neighbours and Egypt. Living in Gaza city is not easy, half of the population is unemployed and Hamas police are strictly patrolling the streets, but you can get a matcha latte on your way to a yoga studio or relax in the park.
Today, what once was the cultural and financial hub of the enclave lies in the lawless abandonment that was devastated by months of brutal Israeli attacks caused by Hamas’ fatal attacks on Israel almost two years ago. And once again, Palestinians in Gaza’s historic city are fearing survival as Israeli plans to launch new attacks in densely populated areas to eliminate Hamas’ militants hidden underground.
After brutal retaliation for Israel’s Hamas attacks, normal life on coastal enclaves fell apart.
Hundreds of thousands of evacuations in crushed buildings in the city are left to dodge for themselves after the collapse of Hamas police equipment. Their future is unknown, and Gaza residents are hearing news of the next food cargo, or the sudden sound of salted trickles from bathroom pipes.
Israel does not allow journalists to Gaza. CNN spoke with some of Gaza city residents and painted pictures of what the city would look like during the war.
Due to the attacks of tens of thousands of Israel, many towers of tiled rubs lie in the city, with sewage flooding the streets. Black smoke from burning plastic and wood used by residents for fuel blows away the sounds of Israeli drones and overhead drones amid sporadic explosions in nearby airstrikes.
A chaotic net of wires from the street generator provides power to those who can afford to pay. The market shows a random assortment of mercilessly priced groceries that may have been plundered by criminal gangs from several aid trucks Israel allows for strips.
Hospitals and pharmacies no longer function, and hygiene products remain rarity for Palestinians. Palestinians are invasive of lice, lack of vitamins, and their food is left sick and vulnerable.
As the night falls, armed thugs roam the streets, and the family picks up guns to protect themselves. Cash can be transferred to Gaza via an informal banking system, but those trying to withdraw it will be forced to pay a fee of up to 50% to the individuals and groups who control the money supply.
Hamas was once very visible on the streets of Gaza city and now does not exist. The political office, the organization’s local government and police station have been destroyed, and the extremists remain hidden.
“Their bitch sons have no control. They don’t look like they used to, but sometimes they find them suddenly appearing.
Residents who did not provide their full name due to fear of Hamas’ retaliation said the group had no visible power and civilians didn’t know how the group would organize.
“They don’t have a specific place where they come together. They have their own special ways of communicating and how to organize… We don’t know how they will do that,” Abu Mohamed said of Hamas.
When an agreement was reached with Israel for the ceasefire and the release of hostages in January, Hamas armed members were filled with full uniforms in public squares in Gaza City. It reminded Hamas that the group was still alive a few months after Israel tried to destroy it.
In the weeks that followed, Hamas choreographed the ceremony to parade strength during the scheduled release of the Israeli hostage filmed on October 7th. The ceremony threatened to withdraw from the agreement because it was furious with Israel.
In one of the latest videos circulating on social media and surrounded by Earth by CNN, an armed group of masked men chanted for the Al-Kassam Brigade, the armed wing of Hamas, carrying automatic weapons. The video, released in August, showed masked extremists setting fire to vehicles and threatening “thieves and businessmen” stealing aid.
The subgroup, self-styled as “al-Radea,” or “deterrence,” said in its first statement that a gang was formed to “prevent businessmen from monopolizing” by Hamas security devices and working with Israel in Gaza.
Al Radea claimed he executed people from a gang cooperating with Israel, including six people in the southern Khan Eunice last month.
“Remember, Hamas is not a static institution or a person. They started with a certain number of fighters on October 7th, and were given the destruction and death within Gaza, so they also made recruitments that were there and replaced the people who were there.”
It is nearly impossible to establish an accurate picture of the number of Hamas militants remaining in Gaza city.
“Hamas is not a unified unit, but their government is elected in Gaza and they have an institution to which they are responsible. Their military wings do not operate like a unified army… They act effectively like rebels of an elected government in the midst of war, they do not play by rules,” Prissas said.
The acquisition and occupation of the largest city in northern Gaza, which Netanyahu said was one of Hamas’s last bases, demands that, in addition to what has already been called, bring an additional 60,000 reserves to the Israeli army and extend the service of another 20,000 people.
Israeli sources this week said the military would give Palestinians about two months to evacuate densely populated areas before the attacks begin, setting an iconic deadline for October 7, the second year of the war.
Another Israeli military official was unable to provide Gaza city with numbers on Hamas troops, but officials said the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) had not ventured deeply into the area in nearly two years of war.
What is expected is that the troops will face enemies with time to dig under Gaza city using its extensive tunnel network
“They know we’re coming,” the official said, “They’re prepared for it.”
Hamas’ “subways” called Israel are more than just a uniform tunnel system, officials explained. Much more complex than the expected IDF, it has bigger strategic hubs and branches and smaller tactical tunnels for quick movements and surprise attacks.
Once Gaza City evacuated, the IDF is likely to attack a set of expanded targets in densely urban areas, officials have added sites that were not hit previously due to the density of civilians.
However, Israel’s movement to receive calls from governments and aid groups. The government is concerned about the Israeli military’s actions over the past two years, amid high civilian casualties, reporting war crimes, human rights violations and blockade aid.
“It will probably take several months for the Israeli army to enter every building, clear it and hit every tunnel. Is that possible? Yes?” said Prissas.
