Thousands Flee Gaza City as Death Toll from War Surpasses 11,000 People

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Thousands of Palestinians have been fleeing from around Gaza City’s main hospital after a series of strikes that staff blamed on Israel hit in and around several hospitals overnight. This comes as the Palestinian death toll from the war has surpassed 11,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

The tens of thousands of people who have fled south in the past few days face the prospect of ongoing bombardment and dire conditions. Many of these people are workers who had been traveling from Gaza to Israel every day until the bloody Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas led Israel to declare war. Now, thousands of these workers are trapped outside of Gaza in places like the West Bank, while their families are unable to leave the war zone.

In response to the situation, Israel announced a window for safe passage on Friday, allowing thousands of Palestinians to stream onto Gaza’s only highway and flee the combat zone in the north. However, many Palestinians in Israel don’t even know if their families are alive.

Salah Abu Hasira, a resident of Khan Younis, said he was fleeing with his family of seven. “We don’t know what will happen to us,” he said. “We’re leaving our homes and our land. We’re leaving everything behind.”

A State Department official recently told Congress that while it will only know the true death toll once the fighting stops, it’s possible the number is even higher. This has left many Palestinians in a state of uncertainty as they flee the war zone, unsure of what the future holds.