Thousands of families are fleeing Gaza City after the Israeli military confirmed it had launched ground operations as part of a large-scale assault aimed at occupying the city. Residents described chaotic scenes as convoys of vehicles stretched for miles while families scrambled to escape amid escalating violence. For many, the journey southward toward Khan Younis has been fraught with both danger and financial hardship. Lina al-Maghrebi, a 32-year-old mother of three from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, told the BBC she had resisted leaving her home until she received a direct phone call from an Israeli officer ordering her to evacuate. “I was forced to sell my jewellery to cover the cost of displacement and a tent,” she said, recounting how the family spent ten hours on the road. The trip cost 3,500 shekels (£735), a staggering amount for many in the war-torn enclave. Her experience highlights the growing desperation among civilians caught in the conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation as a “powerful” move to seize Gaza City, which he called Hamas’s last major stronghold. Israeli officials insist that the assault is aimed at dismantling the group’s military infrastructure, but the civilian toll is mounting rapidly. International aid agencies have warned of worsening humanitarian conditions as thousands are displaced with little access to shelter, food, or medical care. With fuel and basic supplies dwindling, families are relying on whatever resources they can muster to survive. The long convoys of cars and trucks heading south illustrate the mass exodus underway, but many fear that nowhere in Gaza will ultimately prove safe. As ground operations intensify,
Thousands Flee Gaza City as Israel Launches Ground Operations in Major Assault
