Fearing airstrikes and crowded shelters, Palestinians in north Gaza defy Israeli evacuation orders

By SAMY MAGDY and WAFAA SHURAFA
Associated Press

DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have decided to stay in their homes in northern Gaza despite Israeli warnings that they face grave danger if they don’t move south. They say evacuation doesn’t make sense considering the relentless bombardment of southern Gaza, where Israel has repeatedly urged the more than 1 million residents of northern Gaza to seek refuge. They are put off by the appalling conditions in overcrowded shelters and persistent shortages of food and water in the south. The presence of some 350,000 civilians in the northern area could further complicate a likely Israeli ground offensive.