Residents of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza are once again forced to flee as Israeli airstrikes and shelling intensify, leaving them with nowhere to turn. Since the start of the war in October 2023, families have been repeatedly uprooted, escaping one devastated area only to find destruction awaiting them elsewhere.

Jalil Marouf, a father of six, has been displaced multiple times. Now, he and his family endure the cold and rain in a makeshift camp in central Gaza. “We saw death with our own eyes,” he said, recalling the night Israeli airstrikes obliterated two nearby homes, killing dozens. “The bombing never stopped. We fled under the shells, knowing we could be next.” His only request is a tent that can shield his children from the elements, but even that seems beyond reach.

Zaher Subaih, another displaced resident, described the terror of escaping under constant bombardment. “We had no choice but to leave. The shelling was relentless, and shrapnel was tearing through the tents,” he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. Already suffering from chronic illnesses, his health has deteriorated further amid the harsh conditions of displacement. “They destroyed my home, arrested me, exiled me to the south—and now, once again, I am here with nothing.”

For Umm Iyad Ghabayen, a 67-year-old grandmother, the cycle of displacement has been endless. She has moved from Beit Lahia to Rafah, then to Deir al-Balah, then Khan Yunis, only to return and find her home reduced to rubble. “We built our houses with our own hands, and they were wiped out in an instant,” she said, her voice weary with grief. Sitting beside a tattered tent, she prepared a meagre meal for her family, using whatever she could find. “We are exhausted. We just want to stop running.”

The suffering of Beit Lahia’s families mirrors that of thousands across Gaza—families trapped in an unending cycle of displacement, cold, hunger, and fear. As bombardments persist, so does the human cost, with no relief in sight. While the world watches, entire communities are being erased, forced to fight for survival in the ruins of what was once home.