DaysofPal – The streets and sidewalks of the Gaza Strip have turned into open-air shelters for thousands of displaced people fleeing death, as Israeli airstrikes once again force mass displacement from the north — amid a total absence of safe havens or humanitarian services.
In one of the harshest waves of displacement since the outbreak of Israel’s genocidal war on October 7, 2023, hundreds of thousands of residents have been forcibly uprooted under relentless bombardment, leaving behind destroyed homes and shattered memories.
For days, the bombing in northern Gaza has not ceased. The Israeli occupation has issued evacuation orders for the entire province, forcing civilians to flee toward central and western Gaza City. Families carry what little remains of their belongings and torn tents.
This humanitarian disaster continues to escalate under the weight of a total blockade and the closure of all crossings for over 80 days — worsening starvation, collapsing basic services, and unfolding amid the failure of humanitarian organizations, the silence of the international community, and unflinching U.S. support for Israel’s machinery of death.
Bombing and Massacres
In a haunting scene that encapsulates the cruelty of war, Um Mohammad Abu Halima pitched her tent over a massive crater caused by an Israeli missile on Al-Nafaq Street in central Gaza City.
“We couldn’t find a place to set up our tent. Even the sidewalks are full. Tents are everywhere,” she told Felesteen Online, her voice weary, her eyes distant.
Um Mohammad fled from Al-Salateen in Beit Lahiya and now lives under a torn tent with 20 children and grandchildren. This is their sixth displacement since the war began.
“We returned home after the January ceasefire thinking the war was over,” she said. “But the occupation forced us out again with bombing and massacres.”
“We lost 45 members of our extended family in one massacre. Now we live under a piece of cloth — no food, no medicine, barely able to breathe.”
Repeated Displacement and Starvation
A few metres away, Iyad Al-Attar sat beside his makeshift tent in the middle of the road, having fled again from the north.
“For the past few days, the shelling hasn’t stopped. The occupation is deliberately targeting civilians — our fear grows with every hour,” he told Felesteen Online.
“I’ve been displaced eight times during this war. This time was the worst. We walked on foot from Al-Atatra through relentless shelling.”
“We are truly starving,” he added. “We sleep hungry, wake up hungry. We can’t even find a crust of bread. The community kitchens are gone.”
Nearby, Abu Ahmad Ma’rouf and his children cleared rubble to erect their tent on the roadside after fleeing from Beit Lahiya’s housing project.
“This time, it’s like a new, more brutal war has started. Everything that moves is targeted,” he said. “There are ten of us. We’re suffering from hunger and thirst. There’s no clean water, no toilets, no protection.”
Families on Traffic Islands
Um Youssef Ahmed had no option but to pitch her tent on a traffic island with her husband and six children.
“If we had any other choice, we wouldn’t have come here,” she said. “Every minute, we fear a car will hit one of our kids. We have no privacy, no safety.”
Um Youssef had been displaced from Jabalia to Khan Younis, then Rafah, then Deir al-Balah. She returned to her destroyed home during the ceasefire, trying to salvage fragments of their former life.
But now, with the war resumed, she’s once again back in the streets.
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