GAZA: On average, the journey south costs more than $3,000, according to the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA), making it unaffordable for many families.
Along the densely populated coastal al-Rashid Road, thousands of residents are lining up to flee, following Israeli military evacuation orders, in a grueling trek toward the central and southern parts of the enclave.
A UN News correspondent witnessed the scenes first-hand, documenting widespread suffering as displaced people made the journey on foot. While some dragged carts piled high with their belongings, others – including women and children – were forced to rest after walking for hours. The Gaza Valley Bridge in the central Gaza Strip has been overwhelmed by the influx.
‘All houses and neighbourhoods were bombed’
Among the crowd was elderly Abu Nader Siam, walking slowly with the support of a cane, his wife Zakia by his side. Exhausted, he recounted his ordeal:
“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.”
His wife, Zakia, described their non-stop displacements after their home was destroyed.
“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 beside one of them, then continued walking.”
Death, devastation, and destruction
Another civilian, Mrs. Um Shadi al-Ashkar, carried a small bag of belongings as she headed south.
“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.”
‘I lost 25 family members’
Ayman al-Khatib told UN News that most of his family members had been killed in the Tal al-Za‘atar neighbourhood of Jabalia camp in the north. He fled with the few surviving relatives he had left, his aunt clutching his arm as if afraid to lose 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.”
Rising displacement, scarce resources
According to UNRWA, the average cost of moving south is $3,180 per family. Fuel remains scarce in Gaza, and no shelter supplies have been allowed in for seven months due to the blockade.
Last month, Israel declared it would take control of Gaza City, and has intensified bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings there.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 250,000 people have been displaced from Gaza City in the past month alone, including 60,000 within just 72 hours, as troops advanced into densely populated neighbourhoods such as Sheikh Radwan and Tal al-Hawa.
