Nowhere Left To Run: Gaza Civilians Trapped In A Shrinking War Zone

The Israeli military is deepening its ground operations in Gaza, carving out a wide buffer zone along the border and forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians into an ever-smaller stretch of land on the Mediterranean coast.

Since March 18, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued at least 20 evacuation orders, covering large areas of Gaza—including the entire city of Rafah in the south—according to CNN’s reporting.

Over the past three weeks alone, the United Nations estimates around 400,000 people have been displaced by these orders. With each new evacuation, Gaza becomes more unlivable, more fragmented, and increasingly out of reach for humanitarian aid.

On Friday, the streets of Gaza City were jammed with waves of people fleeing their homes once again. Many carried only what they could hold, as they moved from central and northern areas toward zones that are already overcrowded and under-resourced.

“I see tents and people lining both sides of the road in heartbreaking conditions,” said Raed Radwan, a displaced man who watched as crowds poured into the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. “Bulldozers are clearing rubble to make room for more tents.”

Another resident, Hatem Abdulsalam, painted a grim picture of life in the camps. “There’s garbage everywhere, flies, mosquitoes, strange insects... We’re even living among piles of trash. There’s just no space.”

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than two-thirds of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or considered a “no-go” zone. Humanitarian teams must coordinate closely with Israeli authorities to access these areas—if they can get in at all.

Israel’s strategy, outlined by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and reiterated by Minister Israel Katz, appears focused on depopulating large parts of Gaza to weaken Hamas and regain control over territory. Katz recently stated that "many areas are being captured and added to the security zones of the State of Israel, making Gaza smaller and more isolated."

One key area, the Morag Corridor—formerly home to a Jewish settlement—has now been occupied by the IDF, completing the encirclement of Rafah. A source familiar with Israeli plans told CNN that parts of Gaza may remain under Israeli control for an "indefinite" period.

Despite 18 months of intense conflict, Hamas remains a resilient foe. Although Israel declared Hamas’ Rafah Brigade defeated last year, new Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir urged troops this week to “achieve victory” over remaining Hamas forces. On Saturday, three rockets were fired from southern Gaza into Israel, even as the IDF maintains control over much of the region.

Some analysts suggest Israel’s long-term objective might be to make life so unlivable that Gazans choose to leave voluntarily. Katz alluded to this, referencing a plan to promote "voluntary migration" in line with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians and redevelop Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stated, “We are enabling the people of Gaza to freely make a choice to go wherever they want,” though Trump has shown little enthusiasm for pushing that plan forward.

Meanwhile, life for civilians grows bleaker. Gaza has been cut off from humanitarian aid for six weeks. OCHA reports that overcrowded shelters are crumbling, essential services are failing, and resources are nearly gone.

“Everything is running extremely low: bakeries have shut down, life-saving medicines have run out, and water production has been drastically reduced,” the agency said. Aid distribution is often blocked or delayed by Israeli authorities.

Gaza’s health ministry reports that 37% of essential medicines are completely depleted, including more than half of all cancer drugs. Hunger is spreading rapidly, according to the UN and NGOs on the ground.

CNN spoke with Faisal Jamal Faisal, a 30-year-old from central Gaza who fled to Gaza City with his family after a building next to his home was bombed.

“We don’t know where we’re going—just wherever our feet take us,” he said. “We’ve left everything behind. What have my children seen in life? No education, no play, no childhood.”

The UN Human Rights Office has tracked 224 Israeli strikes on residential buildings and displacement camps since March 18, with 36 of them resulting in casualties made up entirely of women and children.

Israel maintains that its airstrikes are precision-targeted and that civilians are warned ahead of time. But for many on the ground, those warnings offer little solace.

“Maybe this is the twentieth time we’ve been displaced,” said 71-year-old Abu Mohammad, who suffers from glaucoma and diabetes and now has no shelter in Gaza City. “Life has no meaning or future. Even the past has been taken from us.”