Israeli airstrikes force Gazan on mass displacement

(MENAFN) A series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip has forced hundreds of Palestinian families to flee their homes, according to eyewitnesses on the ground.

Local sources reported that rescue teams recovered five bodies from the rubble, while dozens of wounded civilians were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City for treatment. The strikes followed what has been described as one of the most extensive evacuation orders since fighting reignited in March.

The recent bombardment comes amid growing calls for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to renew efforts toward a ceasefire agreement. Residents described widespread aerial attacks on densely populated neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City, including Shujaiya, Tuffah, and Zeitoun.

Footage shared online by activists showed chaotic scenes, with explosions lighting up the sky, followed by fires and dense smoke clouds rising over the city.

Among the reported targets was a school in the Zeitoun area, which had been providing shelter for displaced families. The five fatalities reportedly resulted from a strike on the Al Shati camp, located west of Gaza City.

Prior to the airstrikes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had issued evacuation orders for large sections of northern Gaza. Despite these instructions, most displaced families moved west within Gaza City rather than to the southern areas indicated by the IDF.

"We had no choice but to leave everything behind," said Abeer Talba, a mother of seven who fled from Zeitoun.

"We got phone calls recordings in Arabic telling us we were in a combat zone and must evacuate immediately.

"This is the seventh time we've been forced to flee," she added. "We're in the streets again, no food, no water. My children are starving. Death feels kinder than this."

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