As Israeli airstrikes and fighting continue, Gazans continue to protest the evacuation plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Despite facing heavy devastation in nearly two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas, many Palestinians have said they do not accept the US-backed resettlement plan for 2.3 million Gazans.
The plan was announced by President Donald Trump when he received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on July 7, arguing that neighboring countries would cooperate to bring a better future to the Palestinians. Mr. Netanyahu said that Gazans should be given the choice to "ride or leave", in order to turn this place into "an open space" rather than "a prison".
However, UN human rights spokesman Ravina Shamdasani expressed concern that the forced relocation could violate international humanitarian law. She questioned the voluntariness in the current context in Gaza.
Gaza residents, despite having to live amid bombs and bullets, still affirm their right to stay in their homeland. Saed, 27, said: "We have the right to leave freely, but we reject the relocation plan." Saed said he has remained deeply attached to Gaza, home to many generations of Palestinians since 1948.
Although a recent survey shows that nearly half of Gaza residents want to leave if conditions are available, the majority still reject the US-backed evacuation plan. A leaked document named a controversial aid organization proposed building large-scale temporary settlements, called the "Humanitarian Transit Area" for Palestinians, to replace Hamas control in Gaza.
