For a few fleeting moments, the two-story house on the edge of Bureij, a ruined town in central Gaza, still felt like a Palestinian home. Bottles of nail polish, perfume and hair gel stood untouched on a shelf. Through a window, one could see laundry, hanging from a neighbor’s washing line, swaying in the gentle breeze. But despite the trappings of home, the house now has a new function — as a makeshift Israeli military barracks. Since Israeli ground forces recently fought their way into this part of central Gaza, a unit from the military’s 188th Brigade has taken over the building, using it as a dormitory, storeroom and lookout point.

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Organizations: military’s 188th Brigade Locations: Bureij, Gaza