Gaza residents tell stories of pain and fear as they flee Israeli bombardment

Abeer Ayyoub

Oct 15, 2023

EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / A Palestinian woman looks up as she prays in the yard of a school, in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern of Gaza Strip on October 14, 2023, as fighting between Israel and the Hamas movement continues for the eighth consecutive day in the Gaza Strip enclave. Palestinians sought refuge on October 14, 2023, after Israel warned them to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip before an expected ground offensive against Hamas, one week after the deadliest attack in Israel's history. — A Palestinian woman looks up as she prays in the yard of a school in the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 14, 2023. — MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images

Some 1.1 million residents of the northern Gaza Strip woke up Friday morning to a warning from the Israeli military instructing them to leave their homes and relocate to the southern part of the blockaded coastal enclave. The announcement caused panic and uncertainty among the population. Some perceived it as a psychological warfare tactic and others fled their homes out of fear for their safety.

The warning was published on Facebook by the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee. “You will not be allowed to return to Gaza City except after the issuance of a statement permitting it. Approaching the fence area with Israel is prohibited,” he wrote. Later in the day, Israeli planes dropped leaflets with the same message.

Videos of individuals hurrying south on foot, by car or wagon were widely shared on social media. Some Gaza residents expressed their determination to remain in their homes and defy the Israeli directives.

Palestinians in Gaza move towards the center, seeking shelter from the heavy lsraeli bombing. pic.twitter.com/w01FN4mEku
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) October 13, 2023