Sao Paulo
Rimal, once the most elegant and safest place in Gaza City, lies in ruins. The upscale neighborhood of the Palestinian territory’s capital has been hit by Israeli attacks during the country’s war with Hamas, forcing much of its residents to flee.
With its boulevards, squares and houses of a standard far higher than the general poverty situation in Gaza, Rimal was the target of heavy bombing in Israel’s October 10 offensive, in which more than 200 points in the area were attacked by “dozens” of warplanes ” in the early morning hours.
A BBC report carried the testimony of a Rimal resident. Dina Faisal, 39, posted pictures of the house where she lived with her mother, father, sister and two nephews before and after the attacks. Previously the property had a colorful garden in front and was reduced to rubble.
“We thought we were safe at home, but suddenly the windows broke, the doors slammed and flew away,” Dina told the British magazine. “Nowhere in Gaza is a safe place.”
The Associated Press agency states that Rimal had already been attacked in the 2021 offensive, but never with the intensity of the current conflict. Israel’s bombs destroyed upperclass apartments in the city, mosques, university buildings and corporate offices such as that of Paltel, Gaza’s largest telecommunications company.
“Israel has destroyed the center of everything,” Palestinian businessman Ali alHiyak told the American agency. “This is the space of our public life, our community.”
Located 3 km west of the center of Gaza City, Rimal is a coastal district where the elite population, middle and upper class citizens, live. The space is bordered by two of the city’s main streets, the Ahmad Orabi coastal road and Omar Mukhtar, a boulevard that was partially destroyed.
In addition to the residential area, the district is home to hospitals, hotels, Gaza’s most famous restaurants, clubs, squares and shopping centers. The city’s port, headquarters of the Palestinian Marine Police, is located here.
Rimal also houses Gaza City’s main government buildings, including ministries, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights and embassies of several countries. The Palestinian Authority Parliament is also located in the neighborhood.
An American medical student living in Gaza told the Financial Times that Rimal was a “vibrant” area. “Historically it’s a rich place with all the fancy things. It’s convenient, it’s close to everything.”
The paper said Rimal was something of an oasis in an area where more than half the population lives in poverty following a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2007. It is the neighborhood where people go to meet friends, go to a cafe and have fun.
According to the Israeli government, Rimal was targeted to consolidate Hamas’ infrastructure, including headquarters, operational control centers, weapons depots and a branch of the National Islamic Bank, an institution that would have helped finance the attacks.
One person who lives in the neighborhood told the Financial Times that they felt safe there. After the attacks, the family moved to live with their uncles in another area. But if possible, they want to live with Rimal again.
Iyad alBozum, spokesman for the Gaza Interior Ministry, said the destruction was so great that “there will be nothing left to rebuild.” “It will be impossible to live here.”