Desperate escape: Gaza families face insurmountable costs to flee violence

Tuesday 23 September 2025 - 10:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Desperate escape: Gaza families face insurmountable costs to flee violence

As the Israeli offensive in Gaza intensifies, families are struggling to escape, faced with exorbitant costs and dangerous conditions. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), it costs over $3,000 for a family to flee Gaza, a price tag far beyond the means of most residents.

Financial barriers to evacuation

The $3,000 cost covers land, a tent, and a taxi out of Gaza City. For context, $3,000 equals over 10,000 shekels in Gaza, where the average private-sector worker earns just 60 shekels a day, or 1,400 shekels a month. Many breadwinners, especially those out of work for months or years, have no savings to draw upon. With unemployment at 47% and over 80% of the population living in poverty, even before the violence escalated, raising the funds to leave is nearly impossible for most.

To make matters worse, banks and ATMs remain closed, and civilians are struggling to access what little money they may have. Some families resort to selling their possessions, often on black markets, while others remain trapped, unable to escape.

Evacuation orders amid impossible conditions

Israeli warplanes continue to drop evacuation leaflets over Gaza City, instructing residents to flee to designated "safe" zones. The most recent orders were issued on September 20, but for many, there is no safe route. Roads are clogged with refugees, and reports indicate that even areas designated as "humanitarian zones" in the south are overcrowded, lacking food, and subject to ongoing bombardment by Israeli forces.

Ahmed, a schoolteacher from Gaza, expressed his despair: “Even if we want to leave Gaza City, is there any guarantee we would be able to come back? Will the war ever end? That’s why I prefer to die here, in Sabra, my neighborhood.”

Privately operated escapes and soaring costs

For Palestinians without foreign passports, leaving Gaza means turning to privately run escape networks. These networks, often operated by Egyptian brokers, charge between $6,000 and $12,000 per person, far more than the $350 they charged before the violence began in October 2023.

Some families rely on donations through online campaigns, but accessing these funds is often a challenge. Platforms such as Instagram, X, and Facebook have been used for private fundraising efforts, though the dire conditions on the ground make withdrawing or receiving aid difficult.

Refugee camps: No real safe haven

Israel has directed refugees to camps in southern Gaza, but these so-called "humanitarian zones" are anything but safe. Overcrowding, severe food shortages, and relentless bombings have rendered the camps uninhabitable, according to Palestinian and UN officials. Attempts to access food from aid distribution points, such as those operated by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), often result in casualties.

The GHF has been accused of politicizing and weaponizing aid, with the UN calling for its dismantlement. Since May 27, 2025, 1,760 Palestinians have reportedly been killed while trying to obtain food, with 994 deaths occurring at GHF sites.

A bleak future

For many Gazans, the choice is grim: remain in their homes and risk death, or attempt to flee through perilous and unaffordable means. As Israel’s offensive continues, the situation in Gaza grows increasingly dire, with no guarantees of safety for those who attempt to escape.