Residents of Gaza are escaping from destruction and suffering, lacking any form of travel or refuge.

The average cost of a journey south out of Gaza is over $3,000, according to UNRWA, the refugee relief organization, which means it’s unaffordable for many residents.
Thousands are lined up along the densely populated al-Rashid Road, trying to reach central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, following Israeli military evacuation orders in a journey filled with hardship.

A UN News reporter documented scenes of distress as people displaced from their homes make their way on foot.
While some provide the only means they have, loaded carts with their belongings, others, including women and children, briefly attempt to rest from the hours-long walk.
Central Gaza’s Valley Bridge is overwhelmed with displaced individuals due to the large influx.

‘All houses and neighborhoods were bombed’

In the crowd, Abu Nader Siam, an elderly man, slowly walks with his wife, Zakia, holding a cane. They’re exhausted.
“From Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, not a house or neighborhood was spared from bombing,” he says.
“Shelling continues; they dropped leaflets urging us to evacuate. We walked for six hours but couldn’t find any transportation,” he adds.
Zakia describes their journey after shelling destroyed their home:
“We went to Shujaiya neighborhood, then were displaced to Sha’af neighborhood before it too was bombed,” she says.
“Later, to the western seashore of Gaza City, we stayed two nights without a tent, sitting on the sidewalk,” she adds.

Death, devastation, and destruction

Veronica al-Ashkar, among other displaced persons, carries her belongings heading south.
“There’s death, shelling, bombing, and destruction of homes,” she states.
“Even with the leaflets, if there were no shelling, no one would have left their homes. Now there’s death and devastation,” she adds.

‘I lost 25 family members’

Ayman al-Khatib tells UN News that most of his family was killed in the Tal al-Za’atar neighborhood of Jabalia camp in the north.
He fled with a few surviving relatives. His aunt clings to his arm as if afraid of losing him too.
“More than 25 family members were killed: my children, my wife, my mother, my brothers, and their wives,” he says. Only his aunt, two nephews, and a son remain.
“We fled under bombardment and couldn’t find any transportation. They wanted 2,000 shekels for a ride, but we don’t have that money. We have a tent or anything. I made numerous calls and pleas, but no one responded.”

According to UNRWA, the average displacement cost to the south is $3,180 per family. Given the Israeli blockade lasting seven months, fuel is scarce, and no shelter supplies have entered Gaza.
Last month, Israel declared it would take control of Gaza City, and recently, it has increased the bombing of high-rise buildings there.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that over 250,000 have fled the city in the past month, including 60,000 in just 72 hours, as the Israeli military advances into populated areas like Sheikh Radwan and Tal al-Hawa.