The Atlantic

Some Palestinians Want to Leave Gaza. Let Them.

No one should be trapped in a war zone.
Source: Mustafa Hassona / Anadolu / Getty

Recently, I reached out to a prominent Palestinian activist to learn about his experiences in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. He told me that his apartment had been destroyed, and that he lives in a tent with his family. They are under the near-constant threat of bombings, are often hungry, and are worried about starvation and sickness. He wants to leave the enclave—but right now, he can’t.

Several other Palestinians I’ve talked with also want to leave Gaza, and have also encountered closed borders. They of course want the violence to stop, and do not want to be permanently shut out. But above all, they want to be safe. (And I have withheld their names to protect their safety.)

An article in this month featured a U.K.-based Palestinian who said his family members were killed in Israeli air strikes and echoed the above

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