Palestinians Defy Israeli Evacuation Orders, Return to Homes in Northern Gaza

Despite repeated evacuation orders from Israel, thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza are refusing to leave their homes. According to the Gaza Government Media Office, nearly 190,000 people were displaced southward, but around 15,000 have returned — citing unlivable conditions in so-called “safe zones.”

Residents report that Rafah and al-Mawasi, the designated refuge areas, lack hospitals, food, clean water, and proper shelter. Electricity is scarce, and families describe the dire choice of “dying slowly in tents” or returning home to face bombardment.

Human rights organizations warn this highlights the impossibility of evacuation under current conditions. “There are no safe places in Gaza,” said one humanitarian official. “This is forced displacement without protection.”

The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen as Gaza’s infrastructure collapses under relentless strikes, leaving civilians with no viable escape.