Gazans flee ‘death and devastation’ with no transportation or means of shelter

This article is published in association with United Nations.

In the face of escalating Israeli military operations, thousands of Palestinian families continue to flee the northern Gaza Strip amid dire humanitarian conditions and transportation shortages. 

On average, the journey south costs more than $3,000, according to UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, making it out of reach for many.

Along the densely populated coastal al-Rashid Road, thousands of residents are lining up to escape, following Israeli military evacuation orders, in a grueling trek to the central and southern parts of the enclave. 

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A UN News correspondent was there and documented scenes of suffering as displaced people made the journey on foot. 

While some were dragging carts loaded with their belongings, others – including women and children – were trying to take a break after long hours of walking. 

The Gaza Valley Bridge in the central Gaza Strip has been overcrowded due to the influx.

‘All houses and neighbourhoods were bombed’ 

In the midst of the crowd, an elderly man called Abu Nader Siam, walks slowly holding his cane in his right hand with his wife, Zakia Siam, at his left.  He is exhausted.

“I come from the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City. They left no house or neighbourhood except to bomb it,” he said.

“The shelling continues, and they have dropped leaflets ordering us to evacuate. We walked for six hours because we couldn’t find a car or any transportation.”

Zakia Siam spoke about their non-stop journey after the shelling reduced their house to rubble.

“We went to the Shujaiya neighbourhood, and then we were displaced to the Sha’af neighbourhood in Gaza City before it was bombed,” she said. 

“Afterwards, we went to the seashore west of Gaza City and my husband and I stayed there for two nights without a tent. We sat on the sidewalk next to the tents and hid next to one of them, then continued walking.”

Death, devastation and destruction

Another civilian, Mrs. Um Shadi al-Ashkar, carried a bag of belongings as she headed for southern Gaza. 

“There is death, shelling, bombing and destruction of houses (in Gaza City),” she said.

“Even if they had dropped leaflets, if there had been no shelling, no one would have left Gaza City, they would have stayed in their homes. But there is death and devastation.”

UN News

Umm Shadi al-Ashqar, a displaced person from Gaza.

‘I lost 25 family members’

Ayman al-Khatib told UN News that most of his family members were killed in the Tal al-Za’atar neighbourhood of Jabalia camp in the north.

He fled alongside a few surviving relatives. His aunt held onto his arm, as if she were afraid of losing him too.

“More than 25 members of my family were killed: my children, my wife, my mother, my brothers and their wives,” he said.  Only his aunt, two nephews and a son remain.

“We fled under the bombardment, and we couldn’t find any transport. They asked us for 2,000 shekels to get in a car, but we don’t have the money. We don’t have a tent or anything. I made many calls and pleas, but no one responded to me.”

UN News

From Gaza, Ayman al-Khatib during his displacement journey on foot with his aunt.

According to UNRWA, the average cost of displacement to the south is $3,180 per family. Fuel is scare in Gaza, and no shelter supplies have entered for seven months due to the Israeli blockade.

Last month, Israel announced that it would take control of Gaza City and in recent weeks has intensified bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings there.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more than 250,000 people have been displaced from the city in the past month alone, including 60,000 in just 72 hours, as troops advanced into densely populated neighbourhoods such as Sheikh Radwan and Tal al-Hawa. 

UN News