Israel has now restricted Palestinian access to nearly two-thirds of Gaza, declaring vast areas as no-go zones or issuing forced displacement orders, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This intensifying restriction is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis, displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom have already fled multiple times since the war began.
Among the newly restricted areas is a significant portion of southern Rafah, where the Israeli military issued fresh displacement orders on March 31, vowing to “fight with great force.” Meanwhile, Israeli troops launched a new ground offensive in Gaza City on Friday to expand their self-declared “security zone.” These military escalations have triggered one of the largest mass displacements in the ongoing conflict.
For many, the situation has become unbearable. “Our biggest struggle now is displacement,” said Abu Hazem Khalef, an elderly man forced to flee from eastern Gaza City. “We have no idea how to handle this situation. I’m heading west of Gaza City, looking for any street where I can set up a tent.” Similarly, Mahmoud al-Gharabli, another displaced Palestinian, expressed his frustration: “We are being forced to leave and we don’t even know where to go. We are exhausted and completely broken.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that the military push is part of a broader strategy to apply pressure on Hamas. “We are now dividing the Strip, and we are increasing pressure step by step so they will give us our hostages,” Netanyahu stated in a video message on Wednesday.
The airstrikes have been relentless, with Israeli forces carrying out devastating aerial attacks. At least 30 people were reported killed since dawn on Friday, according to local medical sources and Gaza’s civil defense agency. Thursday’s bombardment left 112 dead, including many women and children.
Inside al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, conditions have deteriorated to what some describe as “apocalyptic.” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reported, “We are seeing bodies laid on the ground, counted in the tens. We’ve seen doctors who are helpless, unable to save lives given the dire situation inside the hospital.”
Israel resumed full-scale attacks in Gaza on March 18, ending a fragile two-month ceasefire after negotiations with Hamas failed to produce a lasting agreement. Netanyahu demands that Hamas release the remaining 59 Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and aid, without Israel committing to ending the war or withdrawing troops.
For a final ceasefire deal, Israel insists that Hamas must disarm, a demand Hamas has rejected as a “red line.” Hamas has instead proposed a return to the previously agreed three-phase ceasefire framework, offering to release all captives in exchange for a permanent ceasefire. However, Netanyahu has openly backed plans to maintain Israeli security control over Gaza, raising concerns that Palestinians could be permanently displaced from their land.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, the death toll has skyrocketed. Israeli military actions in Gaza have killed at least 50,523 Palestinians and injured 114,638. Meanwhile, 1,139 people were killed in Israel during Hamas-led attacks on October 7, with more than 200 individuals taken captive.
As the crisis deepens, the future remains uncertain. Will international diplomacy find a way to broker a ceasefire, or will Gaza continue to suffer under increasing military aggression and displacement? The world watches as the humanitarian catastrophe unfolds.
