Gaza City student prepares to say goodbye to home as Israel issues evacuation order

Thousands of Palestinians, including 21-year-old student Sara Awad, are fleeing Gaza City after the Israeli military launched a new ground invasion on Thursday (August 21). A lifelong resident of Gaza City, Ms Awad has begun packing her clothes and belongings as her family prepares to evacuate their home, for refuge in a tent in southern Gaza. “Yesterday I was crying, telling my mother, father, and siblings that I cannot be in a tent. My dreams are big and I can’t hold them, a tent cannot hold them,” Ms Awad said. The IDF has described the city as a “Hamas stronghold” in its justification for the offensive, which has received widespread condemnation, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. More than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, according to the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry.