Residents of Gaza City, the largest urban center in the Gaza Strip, are living in terror of Israel's intense and continuous shelling and the looming threat of forced relocation.
On Saturday, Israel announced plans to relocate Gaza City residents to southern Gaza.
Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said on Sunday that the army will "soon" begin a new offensive to take over Gaza City, despite international warnings about the consequences for the already devastated enclave.
In the coming stage, Zamir said, the army would "continue to enhance the strikes against Hamas in Gaza City until its decisive defeat," deploying "all its capabilities on land, in the air and at sea."
Hamas has condemned the plan, calling it a "new wave of genocide and displacement" for hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City.
In interviews with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Gaza City, displaced Palestinians expressed despair and hopelessness about their situation, lamented the destruction of their homes and lives, and stated their determination to stay despite the relentless bombing.
"It was them (the Israelis) who hurt and threatened us. They've destroyed our lives by their actions in Al-Tuffah [neighborhood]. It all started six months ago. It started gradually, started with quad-copter attacks, then withdrew. Then the shelling started, targeting each home. By the end, they targeted the whole area nonstop and anyone who stayed in the area was martyred, and the rest was displaced. They cornered us with artillery shelling. Those who survived could only take that much cloths," said Mahmoud Saken.
"To be dislocated again -- where else would we go? Our homes have been destroyed, our livelihood is gone. The bombing is getting closer every minute. Where can we go? There's no peaceful place in Gaza, everyday a home is destroyed, and people killed. There's nowhere to go. We don't even have tents that we can use to relocate somewhere else," said Asif Salman.
"I have already decided and told my family that we're not going anywhere, we are dying here. If we die, we would die here. Our loved ones have gone, our people, our homeland -- all gone. Everyone stands in silence watching. We can only pray for making things better, and to make the world (especially the Arabic countries) arise for our aid. Our nation has always been wronged and always in grieving," said Omar Shabat.
According to Gaza's health authorities, as of Sunday, at least 61,944 Palestinians have been killed and 155,886 wounded by Israeli strikes and gunfire since Oct. 7, 2023.
Gaza City residents deplore Israel's looming forced relocation
