Residents of Gaza’s outskirts: Caught between the fire of targeting and sniper fire
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In the areas bordering the Israeli-controlled Gaza Strip, fear is no longer a possibility but a daily reality.
Hundreds of thousands of residents live under the constant threat of sniper fire, in a scene described by locals as resembling an “open shooting range.”
“We live with the constant feeling that we are in a shooting range,” says Mohammed Mansour, a resident of al-Bureij refugee camp. “The soldiers shoot at us whenever they want, targeting children, women, and even animals.”
Military Deployment Imposes Control by Fire
Along the border, elevated military positions provide snipers with a wide field of view and allow them to fire into residential neighborhoods.
“Bullets reach the heart of the camp,” Mansour adds. “They rain down from snipers, armored vehicles, and aircraft. There is no safe time of day.”
Residents’ testimonies indicate that the repeated targeting is not only intended to kill but also to force residents to leave.
“Every time there is gunfire, we are forced to flee,” Mansour says. “And when we return, the shooting resumes at the same rate, as if the goal is to drive us out for good.” It wasn’t just gunfire; it extended to the direct destruction of homes.
Targeting infrastructure has become part of the daily reality, especially water tanks and power systems.
