DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — As artillery and bombs pound around Gaza's largest city and Israel promises a punishing new offensive , Palestinians in the city are paralyzed with fear — unsure where to go, when to leave and if they will ever return.
Israel has declared Gaza City, in the north of the territory, to be a combat zone while the military moves forward with plans to overtake it in a campaign to push Hamas into submission. Parts of the city are already considered “red zones,” where Palestinians have been ordered to evacuate ahead of expected heavy fighting.