Gaza's Impossible Choice: Death Under Bombs or Displacement Into Starvation
2025 | Gaza Humanitarian Crisis
Scenes of Tragedy: Mounting Casualties and Continuous Destruction
The Israeli military continued its assault on Gaza City and across the strip on Saturday, September 20, 2025, destroying tunnels and buildings in attacks that killed at least 60 Palestinians according to Gaza health authorities.
Widespread destruction in Gaza resulting from continuous Israeli bombardment
In a scene that encapsulates the human tragedy, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, was devastated to discover that two of the victims received at the hospital were his brother and sister-in-law.
Casualty Count: Alarming Numbers and Rapid Deterioration
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, the ongoing Israeli offensive that has lasted nearly two years has killed more than 65,208 Palestinians, mostly civilians, while spreading famine, destroying most buildings, and displacing almost the entire population.
Fatalities
Over 65,208 killed since the war began
Displacement
1.9 million of 2.2 million Palestinians displaced
Destroyed Buildings
87% of housing units and schools damaged or destroyed
Famine Deaths
442 dead from starvation and malnutrition
The Agony of Displacement: A Choice Between Death and Displacement
Gaza's residents face an impossible choice: stay under bombardment or flee without resources or shelter. Mohammed Nassar, a man in his fifties who fled from Sabra neighborhood to Tal al-Hawa, recounts: "The night was very difficult under bombardment. The occupation wants to displace all people so that Gaza City is destroyed and becomes uninhabitable for decades."
Obstacles to Fleeing
- Lack of money: Transportation via "tuk-tuk" costs up to 4,000 shekels (about $1,196)
- Physical difficulties: Many cannot walk long distances up to 30 kilometers
- Lack of shelter: Displaced people cannot find tents or places to stay
- Safety concerns: There is no safe place in the strip
Raida al-Amrain (32 years old), who lives with her family in a tent in western Gaza, says: "We want to flee but we have no money. Transportation by tuk-tuk costs 4,000 shekels, and in a small truck the price reaches 7,000 shekels. We don't have 10 shekels to buy bread, what should we do? We will stay: either we die or they find a solution for us."
Hunger as a Weapon: Strategy of Forced Displacement
According to human rights reports, forced displacement could amount to a war crime, and the same applies to using starvation as a weapon of war. Since October 1, 2024, the Israeli army has ordered nearly 400,000 people in northern Gaza to leave their homes and prevented aid from reaching them.
| Date | Evacuation Order | Number Affected |
|---|---|---|
| October 2023 | Order to evacuate northern Gaza | More than one million people |
| October 2024 | New evacuation orders | 400,000 people |
| September 2025 | Gaza City evacuation orders | One million people |
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk states: "Palestinians in Gaza face the most difficult choices: either die of hunger or risk being killed while trying to obtain scarce food."
Health Situation: A Healthcare System on the Verge of Collapse
The healthcare system in Gaza is suffering complete collapse, with most hospitals destroyed and experiencing severe shortages of medical supplies and fuel. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north, says: "The shortage of food, fuel and medical supplies is terrifying and endangers patients' lives, including newborn children."
Hospitals in Gaza suffer from severe shortages of medical supplies and fuel
International Reactions: Limited Condemnation and Double Discourse
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the "heavy" loss of life and injuries among Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza, describing it as "unacceptable."
International Positions
- United Nations: Calls for an immediate and independent investigation into events
- United States: Urges Israel to allow more humanitarian aid to enter
- 10 countries: Expected to recognize a Palestinian state on Monday, September 22
Limited Options: Steadfastness in the Face of Displacement
Despite the harsh conditions, many Gaza residents insist on staying near their homes and remaining steadfast in the north of the strip despite the imminent danger, refusing to move south because they believe "there is no safe place in the Gaza Strip" contrary to what the occupation army promotes.
Conclusion: Continued Suffering Amid International Silence
Israel continues its attacks on Gaza amidst relative international silence, increasing the humanitarian suffering of civilian populations. As bombing continues and displacement escalates, Gaza's residents remain trapped in an impossible choice: stay under bombardment or flee without resources or shelter.
The United Nations and human rights organizations have warned that collective punishment and forced displacement may amount to war crimes, but effective international action remains limited. Meanwhile, casualty numbers continue to rise and humanitarian conditions deteriorate, threatening a complete humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged strip.
The people of Gaza still face a harsh fate: death under bombardment, death from starvation, or displacement with no hope of return. Impossible choices for defenseless people, in a scene reminiscent of the Palestinian Nakba of 1948, but with more deadly and cruel weapons of destruction.