Exiled Palestinian Men Helplessly Witness Nightmarish Ordeals Suffered by their Families in Gaza

In the wedding hall at the Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank, the men spend their days and nights engrossed in their phones, smoking, and constantly refreshing their news feeds. Their weary faces visibly display the horrors they have witnessed in recent days.

These 180 individuals in the wedding hall are all male refugees from Gaza. They belong to the approximately 18,000 residents of Gaza who possess Israeli work permits, permitting them to cross the border freely. However, after Hamas carried out a deadly attack last Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) completely sealed off access to Gaza, leaving these men stranded.

Their wives and children are still in Khan Younis, a town in southern Gaza that is now the epicenter of its own rapidly unfolding refugee crisis, with no way of getting out.

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The IDF has been continuously launching airstrikes and artillery attacks on Gaza in response to a terror attack by Hamas fighters. These attacks have resulted in the death of at least 1,400 individuals, and the terror group has also abducted around 150 people during their recent rampage.

Israel's military objective is to eradicate Hamas and prevent any future attacks. However, the civilian casualties of the operation have been devastating. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll in the past eight days stands at 2,450, surpassing the total number of casualties during the entire 2014 war, which lasted 51 days.

Ismail Abd Almagid's wife and their five children, four daughters and one son, are currently in Gaza, while he resides in a refugee camp. He holds videos of all of them on his phone, including one capturing his young daughter Misk enjoying a piece of mango. Interestingly, whenever he plays this particular clip, tears begin to stream down his face.

Tala, his second-oldest daughter, sustained injuries during the 2014 war while they were staying at his parents' house. "She has a fondness for roller skates, so I promised her that I would bring them back with me," he expressed.

Abd Almagid, 44, informed CNN that he endeavors to stay connected with his wife consistently. However, communication has become arduous due to Israel's blockade, which has restricted Gaza's access to electricity, food, and water.

"My children are urging me to intercede on their behalf. They describe an exceedingly arduous situation over there," he shared. "I would readily return to Gaza without hesitation...despite the ongoing turmoil. Transport me to Gaza, and I will accompany you promptly...for my existence holds no value without my precious family by my side."

Ismail Abd Almagid has been staying in a refugee camp in the West Bank.

Ivana Kottasova/CNN

Currently, there is a significant migration occurring in Gaza, as hundreds of thousands of individuals are moving towards the southern region, with a substantial number gravitating towards the overcrowded streets of Khan Younis.

In response, the Israeli military has issued a directive for residents residing in densely populated areas of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, to relocate to the southern part of the strip. The United Nations has expressed deep concern, stating that this instruction will have severe humanitarian repercussions and impact approximately 1.1 million individuals.

The IDF informed CNN on Sunday that approximately 500,000 individuals have relocated from northern Gaza to the southern region.

Upon receiving his work permit for Israel in October of the previous year, Abd Almagid experienced a sense of triumph akin to winning the lottery. The economy in Gaza, governed by Hamas but under blockade from Israel and Egypt, has suffered severe devastation, resulting in an unemployment rate of 45% as reported by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

"I have always desired to obtain this permit due to the dire circumstances in Gaza. The financial situation, the mounting debt, and the non-existent economy all contribute to the urgency. There is a severe lack of job opportunities," he expressed. He further mentioned that he has been jobless since his graduation in 2004, when he acquired the permit.

In an attempt to dissuade Hamas from engaging in further armed conflict, Israeli authorities implemented a strategy of issuing numerous work permits for Gazans to enter Israel as an economic incentive."

Alongside his wife, who holds an English degree, he too remains jobless. According to him, he spends alternating weeks in Israel, where he is employed at a bakery.

A similar scenario can be observed among several men residing in the Dheisheh refugee camp. They serve as the sole breadwinners in their families, as no one else is employed. The wages they earn in Israel far exceed any possible income they could attain in Gaza.

Marwan Saqer, aged 55, is the sole breadwinner in his family and the only member who has experienced life beyond the borders of Gaza.

While employed at a construction site in Kafr Qassem, an Arab town close to Tel Aviv, Marwan found himself caught up in the conflict when Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Following the cancellation of their work permits by the Israeli authorities, the Palestinian Authority instructed Marwan and his fellow Gazans to relocate to the West Bank.

A view of the Deheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank. The small area is now home to more than 18,500 people.

Ivana Kottasova/CNN

He said the people of Dheisheh welcomed them with open arms, bringing them mattresses, blankets and basic supplies, and providing comfort and company.

The Dheisheh camp in Bethlehem was initially formed in 1949, with 3,000 Palestinians seeking refuge after being forced out or escaping from villages located to the west of Jerusalem. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the camp's population has now increased to over 18,500 individuals. These people continue to reside in an area that has been developed and occupies one-third of a square kilometer.

The camp's walls display portraits of its residents, predominantly young men, who lost their lives in the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Originating in the 1990s as a means of honoring their memory, this tradition has endured over time.

Although the camp falls under Palestinian authority, the IDF frequently carries out incursions, resulting in arrests and raids. According to local witnesses, the IDF apprehended three individuals during a Sunday morning operation. While 180 individuals from Gaza have already arrived at the camp, further arrivals are anticipated in the days ahead.

Marwan Saqer said that as far as he knows, his wife and eight children have left their home in central Gaza three or four times in the past week, but are now back.

Marwan Saqer looks at his phone as his family tries to call him from Gaza, but fails to get through.

Ivana Kottasova/CNN

During his interview with CNN, Saqers received multiple phone calls - his son was trying to reach him from Gaza. Although he answered the call, the connection was lost almost instantly due to a poor signal on the other end. Expressing his frustration, he mentioned to CNN, "When we do talk, they only reveal half of the truth. They are intentionally trying to shield me from excessive worry."

The burden of being in a refugee camp, where husbands and fathers find relative safety while the women and children endure in Gaza, is taking a heavy toll on these men.

"It's a challenging situation. When we gather, we express our emotions, and as fathers, we all experience the same pain. We deeply feel the suffering of our children," expressed Saqer.

The confined space is becoming increasingly suffocating, with a palpable air of tension. Disputes can quickly escalate, even over trivial matters such as access to power outlets.

"Some individuals within our group spend their nights in tears," Saqer expressed. "Physically, we are all present here, but mentally, our thoughts are consumed by Gaza."

CNNs Kareem Khaddar and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.