Mass Exodus from Northern Gaza: “Tents Fill the Streets, Prices Skyrocket”
Over 5,000 residents fled northern Gaza and Gaza City in the past week, crowding southern areas already overwhelmed by displacement. Locals describe soaring costs for tents and shelters — reaching $2,000 — as frustration and despair deepen.
Twitter
More than 5,000 Gazans have fled northern Gaza and Gaza City over the past week, moving south toward overcrowded areas that can no longer absorb the influx, according to estimates reported Wednesday. Streets are filling with makeshift tents and shelters, while prices continue to skyrocket — an average tent now costs between $1,000 and $2,000.
Khaled, a Gaza resident, told N12 that the situation is neither “a full evacuation nor normal life.” He explained that residents are moving toward central Gaza, Deir al-Balah, and the al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, but warned that “even western Gaza could soon become unsafe.” He added: “Two million people are trapped in a tiny strip of land. Honestly, people are exhausted by displacement.”
The economic toll is crushing families. Khaled noted that both handmade tents and simple wood-and-cloth shelters have become prohibitively expensive: “Wood prices are high because it is also used for firewood, so families pay double.”
Meanwhile, residents voiced their despair on social media. Elena wrote: “A tent costs $2,000 for a small family, plus $1,500 in rent if you manage to find a room. For the poor in Gaza, it’s impossible. This is an execution for us, masked with excuses.”
Yousef Faras echoed the sentiment: “Only the wealthiest — those with $4,000 cash — can afford transport, a rented house or a tent with water tanks and a toilet. The rest are left helpless. People will die not from staying, but from being unable to move.”
Ayman described the impossible dilemma: “Should I stay and risk bombardment, or leave with no safe path? Sleep has vanished from my eyes. The real burden is not carrying belongings, but the endless psychological war.”
The situation comes as the IDF intensifies airstrikes in northern Gaza, targeting areas including Sheikh Radwan, Zeitoun, and the Jabaliya refugee camp.
In a video address in Arabic, IDF spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee urged civilians to move south, stressing: “The evacuation of Gaza City is unavoidable. In the south, there are vast empty spaces without tents. Families moving south will receive the maximum humanitarian assistance. The IDF has already begun installing shelters, aid distribution centers, and extending water lines.”
Despite these efforts, southern Gaza remains unbearably crowded, fueling fears that displacement itself is becoming a death sentence for many. As Marah, another resident, put it: “We all feel the humiliation, the heartbreak, the despair of forced displacement. Why can’t we stand together to protect one another?”