Thousands displaced once more as wave of airstrikes ends ceasefire, killing hundreds and raising new fears about aid

Thousands of Palestinians were on the move in Gaza on Tuesday, after a wave of Israeli airstrikes signalled the end of almost two months of calm in the devastated territory. Many were newly bereaved, and most had been displaced many times.

Like others in Gaza, Ghaitam, a 19-year-old from a village near the southern city of Khan Younis, said he was woken at about 2am by the sounds of warplanes, explosions and screaming. “It was a nightmare that came true,” he said.

Within hours, the death toll in the conflict had risen by more than 400, according to local health authorities, to almost 49,000 people, mostly civilians. Medical staff in Gaza reported many women and children among Tuesday’s casualties.

At about 5am, Ghaitam heard that a friend with whom he had played volleyball a day earlier had been killed. “I couldn’t control myself and started crying. I went to the cemetery to say goodbye to my friend, and it was crowded with people, and the scenes there were heartbreaking.”

Israel’s security services and military have said the strikes targeted only “terror targets belonging to the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organisations” including “terrorist cells, launch posts, weapons stockpiles and additional military infrastructure used by those terror organisations to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and … soldiers”.

Soon Ghaitam and his family were moving again, displaced for the 10th time after evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military around noon.

“We saw the orders [from the Israeli army] and we started gathering some clothes. We do not have enough food or gas. Now, we are heading to my sister’s house in a safer area. Our feelings right now are indescribable – anger, exhaustion, anxiety, fear, terror, and grief. It feels like the weight of the world is on us,” he said.

Aid officials said about 65,000 people were affected by the evacuation orders, which cover the northern town of Beit Hanoun and villages east of Khan Younis.

The new orders may suggest ground assaults by Israeli troops are imminent, or they could be designed to pressure Hamas leaders.

Read More: A nightmare come true’: Palestinians flee again after Israel’s attacks on Gaza

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