Displaced Gazans call on Hamas, PA to 'urgently rebuild homes' destroyed by Israel

Newly-displaced Palestinian families in Gaza have called on Hamas and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority to put behind their differences and rebuild their homes destroyed by another round of Israeli bombing earlier this month. 

Dozens of homes and residential buildings were damaged or levelled in the punishing Israeli airstrikes between 9 and 13 May, which killed 33 Palestinians and wounded over 100.

Displaced families told The New Arab that the two rival Palestinian authorities "should fulfil their responsibilities towards us and take matters into their hands to rebuild our houses as soon as possible".

Mohammed Zidan, a resident of the Dir al-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza, was among the 103 families who lost their homes, in the recent bombing. 

"My five-member family and I are civilians and I have never engaged in any military activities. I do not know why Israel insisted on attacking us under the pretext of targeting militants and military sites," the 39-year-old father of three told The New Arab.

"Israel knows that neither Hamas nor the PA can stop [Israel's] ongoing aggressions, so it continues its violations against us.

"Moreover, both (PA and Hamas) rushed to manage to receive funds to rebuild their facilities in Gaza. They should double down on their efforts to collect the funds to rebuild our houses."

Rami Al-Masri, another Palestinian who lost his house in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, also called on both authorities to aid the displaced.

"Once the Israeli aggression ended, all Gazans returned to their normal lives, except us. We started our new suffering as we became displaced people without the necessities for a normal life - neither a home, a job, nor anything," he said to The New Arab. 

"We feel that we died even though we survived the Israeli attacks."