Shelling Nuseirat Camp Market: Israel Deliberately Destroys the Palestinian Economy in Gaza

October 27, 2023 

Israel destroyed the automated bakery in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Central Gaza. (Photo: Palestine Chronicle, Supplied)

By Abdallah Aljamal – Gaza

Rami Dughish, a representative of the Ministry of Economy, confirmed in an exclusive interview with The Palestine Chronicle that Israel caused significant destruction to the largest commercial area in central Gaza. 

The Palestinian Ministry of Economy in the Gaza Strip has announced that Israel deliberately destroyed the largest commercial area in central Gaza. 

In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Economy stated that Israeli forces shelled the Nuseirat Camp market and completely destroyed it. The central market is relied upon by countless residents of central Gaza.

Rami Dughish, a representative of the Ministry of Economy in central Gaza, confirmed in an exclusive interview with The Palestine Chronicle that Israel caused significant destruction to the market where residents go to purchase food, textiles, electronics, and housewares. 

“Israel targeted the Nuseirat automated bakery, then a few days later, it shelled the central market area of the camp. Two days ago, it targeted the Abu Dalal Mall, which is the second-largest mall in the camp,” Dughish stated.

“The shelling of the Nuseirat market resulted in the destruction of the Hamada Mall, which is the third-largest mall in the camp, as well as the destruction of the Sabah Company specializing in general trade, and dozens of commercial shops selling phones, vegetables, fruits, and popular foods, among many other items.”

Dughish highlighted: “The population of central Gaza is over 250,000, comprising of the town of Deir al-Balah, the Maghazi Camp, Al-Musadar Village, Al-Zawayda Village, the Bureij Camp, the Nuseirat Camp, Wadi Gaza Village, and Al-Zahra City. However, the largest population is the Nuseirat Camp, where more than 120,000 residents live. All of these residents rely on the central market for their daily needs.” 

“After the intense bombing in northern Gaza and Gaza City, tens of thousands were displaced into central Gaza. The Nuseirat Camp received a large number of displaced Palestinians. Currently, the camp hosts over 200,000 Palestinians, including both residents and displaced persons, exacerbating the humanitarian and living conditions,” he added.

Dughish explained that “Nuseirat has three major bakeries. The Israelis shelled the largest bakery and completely destroyed it, and it also caused significant damage to the second bakery. Currently, the camp’s residents rely on a single bakery located at the eastern entrance of the camp, causing a severe shortage of bread.”

Imam Abu Sharar, the owner of a small retail store, told The Palestine Chronicle that his store was targeted in an airstrike on the upper floor.

“I keep the store open despite the destruction it suffered to provide the daily needs of the people, even in limited quantities. We never feel safe at all, and at any moment, we feel that the place will be targeted and bombed again.”

Wafaa Hamdan, who is also a resident of Nuseirat, commented on the bombing of the Nuseirat Bakery:

“No bread in Nuseirat today. These are crimes against humanity, This is what the Israeli criminal mind wants. They bomb bakeries that feed the people. They want to starve us. If they don’t kill people with missiles, they starve them to death.”

Two days ago, Israeli forces targeted the only bakery in Al-Maghazi camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, resulting in the complete destruction of the bakery and the death and injury of dozens of people.

Mahmoud Al-Makawi, a resident of Al-Maghazi, made an appeal through The Palestine Chronicle to all the free people of the world, saying,

“To all those responsible for this people wherever they may be, to all the free people of the world, to the local community, and the international community, how can you accept that the residents of Al-Maghazi camp in the middle of Gaza remain without bread after the bombing of their only bakery? How long will everyone remain silent about the crimes committed by the occupation against the people of Gaza and its deliberate destruction of everything that would help them continue their lives? We demand an urgent solution to this problem.”

Majdi Al-Qambarji, from Al-Maghazi camp, asked the municipality, the Ministry of Economy, the Popular Committee for Refugees, and UNRWA to urgently plan for providing bread to the camp’s residents by any means, emphasizing the need to support all economic establishments that were destroyed during this aggression.

Mayor of Al-Maghazi, Hatem Al-Ghamri, affirmed that the municipality is working amidst consecutive crises due to Israeli airstrikes. He pointed out that the municipality has put in place a plan to provide bread from neighboring camps.

Riad Awad, another resident of Al-Maghazi said, “Israeli warplanes deliberately target bakeries, especially during peak hours when citizens wait for hours in long lines to get half a piece of bread for each family per day.”

“Twenty bakeries in Gaza have been subjected to destruction since the beginning of the Israeli aggression, Dozens of others have also been damaged,” he added. 

Residents of Gaza rely on bread as a main staple in their daily diet. 

(The Palestine Chronicle)

– Abdallah Aljamal is a Gaza-based journalist. He is a correspondent for The Palestine Chronicle in the Gaza Strip.