In this powerful visual, The Road, captured by Saher Alghorra, the exodus from Gaza City has become an agonizing struggle for thousands of residents.
Amidst the chaos, some, like a mother clutching her two young children, find meager space on overloaded vehicles, hoping for a safe haven.
For those without the means to pay for transport, the escape is a grueling trek on foot, burdened by whatever precious belongings they can carry.
Makeshift carts are heaped with essential items—mattresses, rugs, blankets—a testament to families gathering everything they might possibly need for an uncertain future.
Water is life, and containers are meticulously collected, ready to store every precious drop found in scarce opportunities.
One woman, seeking fleeting respite from the scorching sun, pleaded with journalists: “Photograph us to show the world the misery we are in.”
This week, Gaza’s coastal road transformed into a scene of unprecedented activity.
Already reeling from two years of devastating war, marked by intense Israeli bombardment, tens of thousands of lives lost, widespread destruction, and a deepening humanitarian crisis, Gazans faced renewed terror. On Tuesday, a fresh wave of panic swept through the region as Israel launched its long-anticipated military offensive in Gaza City.
Every conceivable mode of transport – from battered trucks, cars, and tractors to tuk-tuks, donkey carts, and even repurposed supermarket wagons – was pressed into service. People of all ages desperately fled south, their vehicles, after two years of relentless conflict between Israel and Hamas, largely damaged and incomplete.
The financial burden is immense; transport and fuel costs have soared. Securing a truck or tractor, if one can even be found, can deplete savings by up to $1,500, forcing multiple families to pool their meager resources.
Families carried whatever scraps of food they possessed, a stark reminder of the widespread hunger plaguing Gaza. This crisis intensified after Israel initially restricted aid, and despite a new distribution system after the blockade was lifted, a U.N.-backed panel of food experts has now officially declared famine in some areas, a claim Israel disputes.
The atmosphere on the main escape route from Gaza City, at the time this photograph was captured, was somber. Many, particularly women, sought brief moments of rest, finding what little shade they could along the roadside.
But now, the relentless journey had resumed.
Destinations were uncertain: some aimed for a so-called humanitarian zone six miles away, despite warnings from aid agencies about its capacity. Others sought refuge with relatives or simply hoped to find a spot to erect a tent. Many admitted they had no idea where their desperate journey would conclude.
These harrowing scenes echoed the early days of the brief cease-fire between Israel and Hamas earlier this year, yet with a grim reversal.
Then, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had returned to their homes, fueled by a fragile hope for peace. Today, they move in the opposite direction, their previous cautious optimism replaced by a stark, distant memory.