Deir al-Balah: Economic capital of Gaza’s displaced

Deir al-Balah has not been victim to a wide-scale Israeli military campaign like those that took place in Gaza City, Khan Younis and Rafah, or to more limited campaigns like those that have taken place in the villages and refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip. As such, it has become a place of refuge for displaced Palestinians arriving from central and southern areas, from Mawasi in western Khan Younis to Salah Eddin road to the east, and from the Maghazi, Bureij, and Nuseirat refugee camps, as well as the villages of Masdar and Zuwaida.

As the only market with constant commercial activity in the Gaza Strip, Deir al-Balah’s central market has accordingly expanded. Throughout the day and until the evening prayers, displaced Palestinians search for food, drink, clothing and wares of all kinds in the market space and open shops, which provide a needed alternative to those shut down in the strip’s other cities.