The year 2024 bore witness to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, as displaced families endured unimaginable suffering under the weight of ongoing Israeli aggression. Forced from their homes, they now struggle to survive in fragile tents, vulnerable to the cold, hunger, and relentless bombings.

Throughout the year, which is now drawing to a close, these displaced communities have not known a single day of peace or security. From the very start of the year, the Israeli army intensified its onslaught against civilians, weaponising starvation and siege tactics to compound their misery.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, home to 2.3 million residents, has worsened dramatically. Most of the population is displaced, living in makeshift shelters crafted from tarpaulin, nylon, and plastic. These temporary materials have deteriorated under harsh weather conditions, leaving families with little protection against the elements.

Many of the displaced are concentrated in the Mawasi region, stretching across 12 kilometres from Deir al-Balah in the north to Rafah in the south, with a narrow width of just one kilometre.

On 23 January, west of Khan Younis, the Israeli army carried out a brutal attack on the UNRWA vocational training centre, setting it ablaze with displaced families still inside. Thirteen civilians were killed, and 56 others wounded. The centre, home to 430 registered displaced individuals, was clearly marked with the UNRWA insignia. According to a statement by UNRWA, the building had its coordinates shared with the Israeli military prior to the assault. Despite this, two shells directly struck the centre, turning it into a scene of devastation.

On 12 February, the Israeli army launched a devastating assault on Shabora Camp in central Rafah, killing 100 civilians and injuring dozens more. The attack struck 24 civilian homes, mosques, and institutions in one of Gaza’s most densely populated areas, already overwhelmed by its 1.4 million residents. The Israeli military later claimed the operation aimed to retrieve two prisoners held by Palestinian resistance, showing blatant disregard for the heavy civilian toll.

In the months that followed, the violence intensified. In May, Israeli forces bombed tents sheltering displaced families in Tel al-Sultan, west of Rafah, killing 35 people, many of whom were women and children burned alive in what was described as a "complete war crime." In June, artillery shells targeted tents in Mawasi Rafah, killing 25 and forcing survivors to flee yet again, this time to Mawasi Khan Younis in a desperate search for safety.