Palestinians Fleeing Find No Escape From Danger

As Israel intensified air strikes on Gaza Strip and told residents to move south towards the border with Egypt, some like father of six Fadi Daloul thought that would be a safe option and gathered up his belongings.

Palestinians are desperate to find a safe hiding place as the Israeli military prepares for what is expected to be a ground offensive in Gaza accompanied by relentless air strikes.

The journey to the South is also fraught with risks as Israel hits Gaza after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.

Israel has already unleashed the fiercest bombing ever on the impoverished narrow Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. And far worse is expected, prompting residents to seek safe shelter.

Many Gazans have refused to leave their homes for the South, fearing a repeat of the “Nakba” or “catastrophe”, when many Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel’s creation.

Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, were dispossessed and displaced, many spilling into neighbouring Arab States where they or many of their descendants remain. Many still live in refugee camps.

For Daloul, the priority is the survival of his family as Israeli air strikes flatten buildings in Gaza blockaded by both Israel and Egypt as a humanitarian crisis unfolds and hospitals run low on stocks of medicines.

He is one of thousands of Palestinians who fled from the North of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, fearing what promises to be a ferocious ground invasion with relentless air strikes.

“We live under stress, we didn’t monitor this thing before. It’s huge. It’s a huge threat. Children, as you see … where should we take them?,” he said.

“Especially when we left (our house), we saw on the way people burnt and hit by air strikes. Thank God we are safe and reached the South.”

Hamas has told people not to leave and says roads out are unsafe. It says dozens of people were killed in strikes on cars and trucks carrying refugees on Friday.

REUTERS