On Sunday 31 October 2004, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights organized a new Face-the-Public meeting in Jabalia refugee camp. The meeting was focused on the problems faced by the families who lost their homes and property during the recent Israeli military operation in North Gaza area.

Minister of Housing, Mr. Abdul Rahman Hamad, Governor of North Gaza, Mr. Sakher Bsaisu, and Dr. Kamal Ash Shrafi, PLC member spoke in the meeting and listened to the problems of the victims, which they have been living since the Israeli army destroyed their homes and property. Mr. Aqeel Abu Shamaleh, Director of the Social Affairs Department in UNRWA was expected to speak at the meeting, but could not reach Jabalia due to the closure of roads by the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

The Minster and Governor spoke about the problem and condemned the policy of home demolition policy by the Israeli Occupation Forces, which left thousands in North Gaza, and tens of thousands in the Gaza Strip, homeless. They also spoke about a lack of resources to provide rapid solutions to the problem, and mentioned the plans they developed to deal with it in the near future. They asserted that they aim at providing residence to each family.

The participants spoke about their problems after they had lost their homes and all of their property. They requested fast solutions. Owners of homes that were partially destroyed also requested solutions before the winter arrived. Participants also requested a transparent, effective arrangement to resolve their problem, including providing temporary shelter for them until the problem resolved.

Dr. Shrafi said the PLC understood the problems the victims experienced, and called for faster treatment of the problems. He called the Ministry of Housing to arrange for alternative shelter for the victims in the Sjeikh Zayid Housing town in North Gaza as part of the solution, asserting that the housing problems in the Gaza Strip increased due to the Israeli policies.

In the meeting, the director of the Al Mezan Center, Mr. Issam Younis, mentioned that over 2,000 people lost their homes only during the recent incursion of North Gaza area, while over 5,000 families have been homeless for years in Rafah and Khan Younis, southern the strip. He called on the Palestinian National Authority and donors to double their efforts to deal with this problem.