Fearing an imminent Israeli ground offensive, thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes in eastern Gaza City, moving toward the west and south in search of safety. These areas have been under relentless Israeli bombardment, prompting residents to seek refuge away from the frontline.
The potential Israeli seizure of Gaza City has caused alarm both internationally and within Israel, where tens of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets, staging some of the largest protests since the conflict began. Protesters are demanding an end to hostilities and urging the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by Hamas since October 7, 2023.
In Gaza City, residents themselves are planning protests to call for a halt to the devastating war and to pressure Hamas into negotiations that might prevent an Israeli ground invasion. An Israeli incursion into the city could displace hundreds of thousands more people, many of whom have already been uprooted multiple times during the ongoing conflict.
Ahmed Mheisen, a shelter manager in Beit Lahiya, an eastern suburb of Gaza City heavily affected by the war, reported that 995 families have left the area in recent days for southern locations. He further estimated that 1.5 million tents would be needed to provide emergency shelter for those displaced, while noting that only 120,000 tents had been allowed into Gaza during a previous ceasefire between January and March.
The UN humanitarian office has warned that approximately 1.35 million people in Gaza are already in urgent need of shelter. Tamer Burai, a Gaza City businessman, described the situation grimly, saying, “The people of Gaza City are like someone who received a death sentence and is awaiting execution.” He explained that he was relocating his family to the south to protect them from the potential invasion.
A union-led protest is scheduled for Thursday, with many residents vowing on social media to participate. Meanwhile, indirect ceasefire talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar ended in deadlock in late July.
Hamas has expressed willingness to resume negotiations over a US-proposed 60-day truce and the release of half the hostages, but it also seeks a broader agreement that would end the war. Israel has insisted on the release of all hostages and Hamas’s disarmament, demands that the group rejects.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening, with malnutrition and starvation on the rise. According to the Gaza health ministry, five more people have died from hunger in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 263 since the conflict began, including 112 children. As the conflict enters a critical stage, the international community continues to press for a resolution to prevent further loss of civilian life.
