DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has escalated, with thousands of Palestinian families fleeing the intensified ground offensive launched by the Israeli military. The latest strikes, targeting central and southern areas of Gaza, have resulted in dozens of casualties, according to Palestinian health officials.

On foot or using donkey carts loaded with their belongings, a continuous stream of people sought refuge in Deir al-Balah, a town that typically has a population of around 75,000. However, it is now overwhelmed by several hundred thousand people displaced from northern Gaza, which has been extensively damaged.

As existing U.N. shelters are already beyond capacity, the newly displaced residents resorted to setting up tents on sidewalks to endure the cold winter night. The majority crowded around the town’s main hospital, Al-Aqsa Martyrs, hoping for relative safety from Israeli airstrikes.

However, the reality is that no place in Gaza is entirely safe. Israeli offensives have pushed most of the population into areas like Deir al-Balah, Rafah, and a small rural region along the southern coastline. Unfortunately, these areas continue to be targeted by Israeli strikes, causing significant harm to homes filled with people.

The most recent wave of displacement stems from the targeting of several densely populated refugee camps in central Gaza as part of the ongoing Israeli ground assault. One of these camps, Bureij, faced intense bombardment throughout the night as Israeli troops moved in.

Rami Abu Mosab, who sought shelter in Bureij after fleeing his home in northern Gaza, described the situation as “a night of hell.” He reported the presence of warplanes overhead, along with gunfire and explosions from the camp’s eastern edge. Although a nearby home was hit, no one could reach the affected area.

Bureij camp, like other locations in Gaza, houses refugees from the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation and their descendants. Now, it resembles other densely populated neighborhoods, with residents fearing a fate similar to the destruction witnessed in northern Gaza.

In Khan Younis, just south of Deir al-Balah, Israeli shelling struck a residential building next to Al-Amal Hospital, resulting in at least 20 deaths and dozens more wounded, according to Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra. The death toll is expected to rise, and footage from the scene depicted a tragic aftermath with torn bodies in the street.

Israel has justified its bombing campaign and ground offensive as necessary measures to dismantle Hamas and prevent a recurrence of the October 7 attack. The October incident saw militants breaking through Israel’s defenses, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties—mostly civilians—and around 240 abductions, with an estimated 129 individuals still in captivity. Israel anticipates that achieving its objectives will take “many months.”