In pictures: Gaza's homes, a testament to Türkiye's aid for poor Palestinians, lie in ruins
Juhor ad-Dik's homes, built for Palestinians by Turkish government, now lay in rubble due to indiscriminate Israeli bombardment. The terrifying aftermath of the bombing is truly heart-wrenching.
Citizens walk among the rubble in Juhor ad-Dik built by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (or TIKA). / Photo: AA
Israel's relentless attacks on besieged Gaza since October 7 have taken a huge toll on the housing for poor Palestinians built by the Turkish state aid agency Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency [or TIKA] in southeastern Gaza.
Anadolu Agency visited a residential area built several years ago by TIKA and documented the large-scale destruction of the housing as well as in the entire residential area known as Juhor ad-Dik.
"The people here are ordinary, we got these housing units by donations from Türkiye to the most needy people," TIKA beneficiary and former housing resident Ibrahim Abu Arabia told Anadolu. "The Israeli bombing didn't stop here before the truce period, and left vast destruction in the area," he added, referring to the current humanitarian pause, which was extended last night from four days to six.
Another beneficiary who lost her house unit also spoke to Anadolu about the loss of her TIKA-built home, saying that they not only lost the house but all of their clothes, furniture, and appliances. "The residents of TIKA buildings are now homeless, and confused where to go after losing their homes," said Fatema al-Mughrabi.
More than two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have lost their homes to Israeli bombardments, with thousands of families sleeping rough in makeshift shelters with only the belongings they could carry.
Here are some heartbreaking images showing the devastating impact on the once vibrant Juhor ad-Dik neighbourhood.
The buildings in Juhor ad-Dik were built with Turkish funds and were allocated in 2017n to poor residents and others affected by previous Israeli wars in Gaza.
The residential area of Juhor ad-Dik was built by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency for poor Palestinians in southern Gaza but Israel has turned the entire area into a debris of concrete and mangled iron.
For some Palestinians, the temporary truce has offered a chance to search for belongings as well as all the missing people and bury them.
Besides devastation to infrastructure, Israel’s aerial and land bombardment and a ground invasion on Gaza has so far killed more than 15,000 Palestinians, around 40% of them children, officials say.
The truce has brought Gaza its first respite after seven weeks of indiscriminate Israeli bombardment that has reduced much of the Gaza to rubble including Juhor ad-Dik.
More than two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have lost their homes to Israeli bombardments, with thousands of families sleeping rough in makeshift shelters with only the belongings they could carry.
Many Palestinians are using the truce to return to abandoned or destroyed homes in hope to find anything recoverable.
WHO says more Palestinians in Gaza could soon be dying of disease than from bombing and many had no access to medicines, vaccines, safe water and hygiene and no food.
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