Gaza City is bracing for bigger airstrikes from Israel after recent attacks killed more than 40 Palestinians—most of them civilians—on Friday, local health authorities report. Despite evacuation orders, many residents are choosing to stay. 😔
Why stay? With about a million people squeezed into the city and no clear safe zones elsewhere in the Gaza Strip, folks feel they have nowhere to go. In one tragic strike in the Al-Tuwam neighborhood (north Gaza City), medics said 14 civilians died when their home was hit.
Others fleeing northward shelling have tried moving to the south of the territory. Israel's army says it's expanding "Crossing 147"—a buffer zone for humanitarian aid—to handle more displaced people, but UN agencies and foreign governments criticize the conditions there.
The move to take full control of Gaza City is part of Israel's stated plan to dismantle Hamas, but the evacuation order has drawn widespread calls for a ceasefire. Relief groups warn that without safe passage and basic services—like food, water and medical care—civilians remain extremely vulnerable.
For now, Gaza City residents are weighing their options: brave the strikes in familiar neighborhoods or face the unknown in overcrowded aid zones. The big question is: what happens next? 🏘️💔
Reference(s):
Israel intensifies Gaza City strikes as many residents refuse to leave
cgtn.com
