Displaced Gaza man builds beachside home using mud, sand and flour bags

Moataz Yahya Barzak, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza, has constructed his own beachside house using unconventional materials – mud, sand, and flour bags.

Barzak, who was forced to flee his home and live in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, decided to ditch his inadequate tent and build a more durable shelter. 

He filled approximately 1,200 flour bags with sand and mud, creating thick, sturdy walls to protect himself from the elements.

"After 10 months of being displaced in Deir Al-Balah, I got the idea of living on a beach. I didn't want to live in a tent because they were inadequate. So I thought of using flour bags, and the sand that's available on the beach," Barzak explained to Middle East Monitor.

To safeguard his new home from the Mediterranean's powerful tides, Barzak plans to build a 1.75-meter-high barrier using sandbags.

"With regards to the sea, Gaza's sea is [a] monster, but God Willing, the barriers, which are also made of sandbags, will be enough, because they will be 1.75 metres high to withstand this beautiful beast," he said.

The innovative structure, which cost merely $300 to build, features a mesh window offering a stunning sea view.

'As displaced people, it will protect us from the cold of winter and heat of summer and the sea waves and winter winds."

Over 41,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, including 16,456 children and 11,000 women in Israeli military offensives in Gaza since October 7.

Almost 95,497 have been injured in Israel’s war on Gaza for eleven months.

The United Nations (UN) reported that two-thirds of buildings across the Gaza Strip have been "damaged or destroyed." Israeli attacks have also killed at least 270 aid workers.

The restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies have exacerbated the situation in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Israel to ensure basic services and humanitarian aid delivery in the besieged enclave.

The Palestinian government's information office reported that almost 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced due to relentless air and artillery strikes by the Israeli military.

Thousands of children in Gaza have been diagnosed with malnutrition, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Earlier, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) head Cindy McCain said people in Gaza are starving to death.

The WFP estimated that around 1.1 million people are "struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation" due to Israel's severe restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies to the besieged enclave.