Palestinian families flee Gaza City as Israeli offensive escalates

Wednesday 17 September 2025 - 11:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Palestinian families flee Gaza City as Israeli offensive escalates

Gaza City is enduring another wave of mass displacement as Israeli forces intensify their ground invasion and bombardment, leaving many residents fearing they may never return home. Families are fleeing southward amid devastating scenes of destruction, carrying only the bare essentials on vans, trucks, donkey carts, and even on foot.

Mothers clutch their babies, elderly citizens struggle to keep pace, and orphaned children depend on strangers for survival. For many, the journey south is a desperate attempt to escape relentless airstrikes and a collapsing infrastructure.

Initially, many residents resisted leaving Gaza City, but the destruction of civilian infrastructure, coupled with cutoffs in aid, water, and electricity, has forced thousands to evacuate. According to the Gaza Government Media Office, around 190,000 people have fled south from Gaza City and northern towns, though 15,000 have returned due to the dire conditions in “safe zones.”

However, these so-called safe zones, such as Rafah and al-Mawasi near Khan Younis, have also come under attack by Israeli forces. These areas lack vital resources like hospitals, clean water, food, and proper shelter, leaving displaced families in dire circumstances. Eyewitnesses report widespread destruction, with Israeli forces deploying heavy firepower to demolish high-rise buildings and residential homes.

The death toll continues to rise, with 78 Palestinians killed since Tuesday morning. Israeli troops are advancing slowly through residential neighborhoods, aiming to weaken Hamas and take control of Gaza City.

In response, Egypt has condemned the Israeli ground invasion, deeming it “reckless” and warning that such actions could plunge the region into “a new phase of total chaos.”