Gazans in Israeli-declared humanitarian zone report worsening conditions as Gaza operation expands

The Israeli military's operation to fully occupy Gaza City has intensified, with residents of the southern Gaza enclave designated as a "humanitarian zone" reporting worsening conditions as the area fills with new arrivals. Hospital officials say two children were killed and others were injured in two early-morning strikes on tents in al-Qarara. The BBC has sought comment from the Israel Defense Forces.

Displaced residents describe overcrowded tents and dwindling essentials. Sylvia al-Shurafi, who fled to southern Gaza this week, told journalists that conditions are so harsh that "even an animal" could not survive in the zone. "We thought these humanitarian areas they spoke about would have water and tents," she said. "We forced ourselves to listen to save our lives, but we've ended up living on the street. It's so unjust," she added. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, staff said two children were brought in after the dawn strike on their tent in al-Qarara. The BBC has approached the IDF for comment. Israel says it is guiding residents from Gaza City toward al-Mawasi, a long stretch near Khan Younis, promising better services there.

Satellite imagery shows al-Mawasi expanding since mid-August as Israel's operation to occupy Gaza City continues. The United Nations says more than two million Palestinians are being told to cram into just 13 percent of the Gaza Strip. UNICEF spokeswoman Tessa Ingram says disease is spreading among children in al-Mawasi and that many families are eating one meal a day. "The families I speak to tell me that diseases are spreading among their children, they are constantly sick and hungry," she told the BBC. "Most people tell me that they eat one meal a day, usually rice or lentils, and parents often skip portions so their children can eat," she added. "People walk for hours to get access to safe drinking water." A father from Jabalia described tents jammed together with little space, saying, "Where are the sewage systems, the sanitation? We call for water and it's all in vain."

How do you scale up a humanitarian response in such a small, crowded space? Ingram asks. The UN and aid groups say there are gaps in the flow of assistance due to Israeli restrictions on crossings and aid convoys. Since August, al-Mawasi has widened to include areas north and west of Khan Younis, with community kitchens, water points and field clinics operating, but demand outstrips supply. The Israeli military's coordination outfit, Cogat, says it has increased piped water and power for desalination in southern Gaza and has allowed 20,000 tents and tarpaulins into the enclave, with tens of thousands more expected in the coming weeks. About 300 aid lorries are allowed in each day, 80 percent of which carry food, Cogat says. Work is under way to reopen the European Hospital and to add two more field hospitals in the south.

Aid agencies say the scale-up remains limited by access and security constraints, complicating efforts to reach families with shelter, water and medical care. "Families are fleeing one hellscape only to end up in another," Ingram says, echoing the plight described by many parents. Sylvia al-Shurafi, who has washed her son's clothes after his home in Gaza City was damaged by bombing, says her children have become weak and anxious. She recalls her youngest son developing a stutter as the family endures the ongoing explosions. "Food used to be the last thing we thought about; now it is the most important thing. It's just survival," she adds. "Life is very hard; it's beyond description. We are living only by the spirit of God."