Israel orders Gazans to leave the north, but most are staying put
For more than a year, as Israeli bombs pounded northern Gaza around Mariam Awwad’s home, she and her family of 11 have refused to leave.
Their resolve did not change even after the Israeli military dropped leaflets over the town of Jabaliya on Sunday, ordering Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate to the south. The military was renewing an offensive on the north, saying it was going after Hamas fighters.
“We refuse to flee only to die in humiliation,” Ms. Awwad, 23, an advertising copywriter who lives with her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, said Thursday in an interview. “Death is death, whether we die here or elsewhere. So let’s die with dignity in our home.”
Roughly 400,000 people remain in Gaza’s north, according to the United Nations, and most appear to either be taking a defiant stance similar to Ms. Awwad’s, or do not have the means to flee. Others may be fearful of being permanently displaced from their homes, even as the United Nations and aid groups are sounding the alarm over a worsening humanitarian situation, including the closure of hospitals. [Continue reading…]