Hundreds of Palestinian families flee northern Gaza as Israeli strikes kill over 100 on Friday

CAIRO – 16 May 2025: On Friday, northern Gaza witnessed a mass displacement of hundreds of Palestinian families following atrocities committed by the Israeli army.

At least 100 individuals, including women and children, were killed and dozens more were injured in intense artillery and air strikes that hit densely populated residential areas since dawn.

Palestinian media reported that residents fled from neighborhoods including Al-Dawwar Al-Gharbi, Al-Amoudi, Al-Salatin, Ezbat Abd Rabbu, and Tallat Qalibo Hill north of Beit Lahia.

Amid widespread destruction and a lack of transportation, many were forced to walk or use makeshift carts pulled by animals.

Eyewitnesses stated that the displaced had to evacuate their homes or makeshift shelters urgently without taking their belongings, fearing they would face a similar fate to the victims who perished in the airstrikes that targeted 11 inhabited homes in various areas of northern Gaza.

Mouhamed Basal, spokesman for Gaza civil defense, confirmed that rescue teams have recovered the bodies of 50 people since dawn, while it is believed that more than 50 others remain trapped under the rubble.

Access to many sites have been hindered due to the intensity of the bombardment and the deteriorating conditions within the enclave, Basal added.

Israeli forces have ramped up strikes on Gaza, killing more than 250 people recently, many of them women and children, bringing the total fatalities since the start of the war 19 months ago to over 53,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

Hamas reported in a statement that the recent strikes across northern and southern Gaza have killed entire families, condemning the United Nations and its agencies for their “complete absence of any effective action” in response to these “acts of genocide.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed in May to escalate the offensive in Gaza, aiming to seize the enclave indefinitely despite widespread outcry.