Sulaiman al-Gharabli dey hold im pikin, four-year-old Abdullah, as di waves dey crash for di makeshift displacement camps wey dey al-Mawasi beach. Di 45-year-old Palestinian papa of five dey look across di Mediterranean, im eyes dey search for answer to one big question: e go ever fit return back to im area for al-Nasr wey dey eastern Rafah?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government don approve di first steps to expand Israeli control for Gaza, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich don openly talk say dem wan make Jewish settlement dey Gaza. Dis kain tori don make fear full di heart of Gaza 2.3 million people say di displacement wey dem dey face fit turn permanent.

“I no even fit feed my family well, and now dem dey talk say dem wan annex part of di Strip,” al-Gharabli talk, as im voice dey shake and im dey hold im pikin tight. “E be like thunder wey strike us—di areas wey dem plan to annex to Israel mean say we go lose both di present and di future.”

For di past 22 months wey Israeli military dey enter Gaza, majority of di people for Gaza don dey displaced, some even don move many times, and dem dey push dem enter di small small areas wey remain for di besieged enclave.

Al-Gharabli don move from one place to another six times since May last year, and dis one dey show di fear wey dey grow for di heart of Gaza people as Israeli government dey talk about creating 'security zones' wey dey look like permanent territorial changes instead of temporary military action.

For di beach, neighbours dey argue well well, some no believe say annexation fit happen, others dey sure say e go happen. Di argument dey loud as families dey think about di possibility say dem fit lose everything wey dem get.

During one small ceasefire three months ago, al-Gharabli see im old neighbourhood from far. E see say di building wey im apartment and im brothers’ houses dey don scatter finish, but e still dey hope say one day e go fit return and rebuild.

“With dis annexation plan, di occupation dey tell us straight: una no go return to una old houses even if na rubble, and una go find another place,” e explain. “Dis one mean another displacement—outside Gaza. Dem no want make we dey here, even if we agree to live for di rubble and destruction.”

Di Israeli Cabinet don approve measures to maintain long-term 'operational freedom' for Gaza, and dis one dey show say dem wan move from temporary occupation to permanent control.

For people like al-Gharabli, dis one dey confirm di fear wey dey im heart. “You no fit see di occupation threats as just talk,” e tok, as e point to di worn tent wey e dey stay. “Dis na di reality wey dem wan create for ground, and nothing dey stop dem militarily or politically.”

Hassan Abu Ouda, wey dem displace from Beit Hanoun for Gaza north side, believe say di annexation don already start.

Di 38-year-old papa of six remember say di last time dem displace am na when Israel start military attack again for March 18, after e spend 47 days for Beit Hanoun during di small ceasefire.

“Israel no dey stop, especially as di world dey silent,” e tok. International response dey limited to diplomatic protests. Di United Nations don warn against annexation, and di European Union don talk say dem no support any change to Gaza territorial status.

But di United States State Department talk say dem 'no support any territorial changes to Gaza,' but dem no take any concrete action, and dis one dey make people like Abu Ouda feel abandoned.

Abu Ouda dey sell cigarette for small plastic kiosk, and e don leave di remains of im house and ten dunums (one hectare) of farmland for Beit Hanoun. “Na true say I dey try provide for my children here for al-Mawasi, but I swear, my mind and soul dey Beit Hanoun, where I born, grow, marry, and born my six children,” e tok.

Abu Ouda dey fear say di policies of Israel go destroy di future of Gaza generations. “Dis political decision go make Gaza space even smaller and leave us dey live inside wahala for many years,” e tok.

Dr. Sami al-Astal, wey be political analyst and academic for Al-Aqsa University for Gaza, talk say nothing dey stop Israel from annexation. Di destruction wey dey happen for Gaza dey follow di same pattern wey dem don use for other places wey dem expand before.

“Di areas wey dem dey target na di ones wey dem don evacuate and destroy for di north, south, and east of di Strip, under di full military control of Israeli army, and dem get political support from di American government,” al-Astal explain.

Israel media restrictions don limit di international attention, and dis one dey make annexation easy without documentation.

Ahed Frawana, wey be political analyst and researcher, add say di actions of Israel dey follow religious-nationalist agenda, and dem dey use di war to chase di territorial plans wey dem don get since.

“Di occupation dey claim say wetin dem dey do na because of Hamas and negotiation threats,” Frawana tok. “But di truth be say dem wan annex, control, and displace people. Di talk about security needs and buffer zones na just excuse—di real plan na to take di land without di people.”

Back for al-Mawasi beach, Abu Ouda dey watch im children dey play for sand, and e dey pray for Palestinian unity to save wetin remain.

“Dem wan force us to move—not by choice, but by force. Dem wan destroy all di way wey we fit survive and push us out,” e tok.

As evening dey reach for di beach, al-Gharabli still dey hold im pikin, and e dey talk wetin many displaced Gazans dey fear: “We go dey live for tents for di beach for di coming time? Our children present and future go lost? Our fate go be continuous displacement or forced migration?”

Dis piece na collaboration with Egab.