**Mass Displacement Reshapes Gaza as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens**

In Gaza City, a dramatic surge in displacement is transforming the coastal enclave's landscape. Picturesque harbors have turned into sprawling tent cities, and even buildings belonging to diplomatic missions have become makeshift refugee camps. Nearly 180,000 Palestinians have been forced to find new shelter over the last two weeks, driven by an intensified Israeli military offensive, according to a United Nations-led humanitarian group.

The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders with the objective of capturing 75% of Gaza's territory and pushing civilians into a southern zone secured by its forces. This operation aims to defeat Hamas, the militant group that has been engaged in the conflict for over a year and a half. The situation for Gaza's 2.1 million residents is dire, aggravated by severe shortages of food and escalating airstrikes. Among the tragedies, a strike early Monday ignited a blaze at a Gaza City school sheltering displaced families, killing over 30 people, including at least 18 children.

Humanitarian aid is trickling in under a heavily criticized U.S.-backed plan. With hunger rampant due to a nearly three-month ban on food and medicine, limited quantities are now being allowed back into the territory. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has started distributing food in southern Gaza. Videos on social media show streams of Palestinians walking down dirt paths, carrying large cardboard food parcels from new distribution sites. The Israeli military claims this system is designed to prevent supplies from reaching Hamas and to weaken its grip on Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the aid distribution would be carried out by American companies directly to Palestinian families in a military-secured safe zone. He emphasized that this setup would allow for the continuation of their military objective while ensuring aid to civilians. However, the U.N. and other aid organizations argue that this program effectively compels Palestinians to relocate southward to access food, amounting to forcible displacement.

Tensions are running high at the aid distribution points, with large crowds gathering. In some instances, this has led Israeli soldiers to fire warning shots, causing contractors from the U.S. security firm to flee the scene temporarily. Hamas has denounced the aid program, calling it a tactic to permanently displace Palestinians. Caught in a precarious situation, civilians like Malek Al Shenbari must choose between feeding their families and avoiding participation in a perceived displacement agenda.

Life in the new tent encampments is fraught with hardship. Residents like Sulaf Wishah describe daily struggles, from dealing with infestations of flies and mosquitoes to scavenging for food and living under the constant threat of nearby shelling. "There are no feelings," Wishah noted somberly. "You wake up and go to sleep to the sound of shelling, eat and drink to the sound of shelling, pray to the sound of shelling."

This complex and heart-wrenching situation underscores the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with no clear resolution in sight.