Tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Israel’s escalating attacks on Gaza City are finding no refuge in the south, forcing many to return to the very neighborhoods they tried to escape.
Overcrowded coastal camps, scarce water, limited medical care, and sky-high relocation costs have turned evacuation into an impossible gamble.
Most displaced families are heading toward Mawasi, a sprawling southern tent camp Israel has labeled a “humanitarian zone,” or to the western edges of Gaza City along the coast.
But on arrival, many find no space for tents, no clean water, and no effective medical support, residents and aid agencies said.
“I have been in the sun for two days looking for a place and could not find any. Now I had to take my belongings and go back to Gaza City,” said Mohammed al-Sherif, 35, who fled Sabra district with his family and those of his two brothers after Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets warning civilians to evacuate.
Movement in Gaza is slow and costly.
Vehicles have been destroyed and fuel is scarce.
Sherif’s family loaded their belongings onto a donkey cart, traversing densely packed Mawasi camps, but still found no room to stay.
“This is not just our situation. People come, don’t find shelter, then return to danger. We don’t know what to do,” he said.
Satellite images show Mawasi already crowded with tents before recent arrivals, with additional tent coverage increasing along the coast and at al-Shati camp near Gaza City from Aug. 20 to Sept. 10.
Barely any agricultural land remains, worsening malnutrition and hunger in a territory long beset by food insecurity.
Israel escalated its offensive late last month, citing the need to rescue hostages held by Hamas following its Oct. 7, 2023, incursion, which sparked the current conflict.
While Israel has urged civilians to relocate to Mawasi, strikes continue to hit urban areas, killing 16 people on Thursday alone, including five in al-Shati camp, according to local health authorities.
Despite evacuation orders, roughly 1.3 million of Gaza’s 2 million residents remain in Gaza City and the north.
Displacement is accelerating: 20,000 fled between Aug. 31 and Sept. 7, followed by another 25,000 between Sept. 7 and 10, according to the CCCM, an inter-agency humanitarian group.
The U.N. humanitarian country team has rejected Israel’s designation of Mawasi as a safe zone, citing inadequate shelter, insufficient food and water, and lack of medical services.
Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani countered that Israel is working to expand tents, food, water, and medical centers, insisting strikes target Hamas members.
Conditions in Mawasi are tense and crowded. Existing residents report conflict with newcomers over limited space. “There is no place for them to live. People are fighting with each other,” said Abu Fadi Abu Ouda, a resident. Others, like Ahmed Abu Deya, return north on foot, carrying their belongings and lacking water or shelter.
Families remaining in Gaza City face equally impossible choices.
Aya Mohammad, 31, lives in a partially damaged home in Sabra with her eight-member family.
She fled in 2023 but returned during a truce in January. With elderly and sick relatives, and no available space in southern camps, evacuation is unfeasible. “I can’t find a place for a tent. People told me they have no space for us,” she said.
Relocation costs exacerbate the crisis. Travel costs range from $600-$700, with tents priced between $1,000-$1,200, amounts beyond most families’ means.
Shelter materials have only recently trickled into Gaza after nearly six months of restrictions.
UNICEF spokeswoman Tess Ingrams described Mawasi as nearly full, with families forced to pitch tents along roadsides and inland areas lacking basic water access.
Raeda el-Far, displaced five times during the conflict, now lives beside a rubbish dump, cooking over open fires as street dogs roam. “End the war. It’s enough. We’re really exhausted. There is no safety at all wherever you go,” she said.
The humanitarian nightmare is compounded by Gaza’s long-term crises: chronic fuel shortages, restricted imports, malnutrition, and a decimated infrastructure.
Families face an impossible calculus: remain in overcrowded camps with no resources, or return to bombed-out neighborhoods with homes destroyed and safety uncertain.
The international community continues to warn of worsening famine, disease outbreaks, and mounting civilian casualties.
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