Israel’s defence minister has told the roughly quarter of a million people still in Gaza City that if they do not leave, they will be considered “terrorists” or “terrorist supporters”.
This threat has sent shockwaves throughout the population. Rights groups say the threat amounts to collective punishment, criminalising civilians for simply staying in Some families are still risking the dangerous journey [from Gaza City] to the south of the Strip. But there are others [who cannot make the journey], such as people who are elderly and sick.And many families, fearing for the safety of their children, also believe it is impossible to leave Gaza City under the intensity of ongoing attacks. They know they might not also believe it is impossible to leave Gaza City under the intensity of ongoing attacks. They know they might not be able to make it safely to the south of the Strip – or if they do, find an empty place to stay due to overcrowding.
So, many families right now are simply trying to survive, but the opportunity to survive in Gaza City is dwindling as Israel expands its ground operations and extensively destroys civilian infrastructure.