Last Thursday, Shadi Mustafa, displaced from his home near Abu Tammam School in Beit Lahia, fled again after a brutal night of Israeli shelling that injured dozens. As Israeli drones hovered above, Mustafa and others were ordered to move south but came under fire. He described December 5 as the peak of the violence in northern Gaza.

Mustafa, with his family of nine, reached an Israeli checkpoint after hours of waiting. He was detained separately from his family and endured a stressful security screening before being released. After spending the night in eastern Gaza City, he was reunited with his family and found refuge in a school in Gaza City.

Mohammad Al-Masri, a father of five, also fled Beit Lahia after intense shelling. He and his family endured a dangerous journey to the checkpoint, waiting for hours before moving to western Gaza City. Both men urged the international community to pressure Israel to end the violence, which has caused immense suffering and loss of life in Gaza since October 5.