Israel shut down a key evacuation corridor on Friday and vowed to unleash “unprecedented force” on Gaza City, deepening a military offensive that has already left the territory in ruins and triggered global condemnation.
The closure of Salah al-Din Road, Gaza’s main north-south artery, came after a 48-hour window in which residents were urged to flee.
The Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, told civilians their only chance to move south was along the Al-Rashid coastal road, urging them to “take this opportunity and join the hundreds of thousands” who have already escaped the enclave’s largest city.
But with the war grinding into its second year and famine gripping much of Gaza, the call to evacuate has become nearly impossible for many families.
Transport costs have soared beyond $1,000 in some cases, while constant shelling has made the journey itself a gamble with death.
