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.”
