A mass exodus unfolded on Tuesday as thousands of Palestinians fled Gaza City, the besieged territory’s largest urban centre, following Israel’s order for immediate evacuation and warnings of an intensified military offensive.

Families packed into tractors, carts, and overcrowded vans, moving southwards along the coastal road in the central Gaza Strip. Many left behind shattered homes and neighborhoods reduced to rubble, as smoke from recent Israeli airstrikes billowed across the skyline.

The Israeli military has declared Gaza City a primary target, vowing to strike with “great force” in its campaign against Hamas.

The evacuation order has raised fears of a humanitarian disaster, as nearly one million people are estimated to live in the city and its surrounding areas, according to the United Nations.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with residents scrambling to gather belongings while others searched for missing relatives amid the destruction.

“We don’t know where to go, we just know we must leave,” said one displaced resident, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Humanitarian agencies have expressed alarm at the scale of the displacement. The UN warned that the south, already overwhelmed by previous waves of evacuees, lacks the capacity to absorb yet another influx of hundreds of thousands of people.

Israel maintains that the assault is aimed at dismantling Hamas’ stronghold in Gaza City. However, rights groups argue that the relentless bombardments and forced mass evacuations risk worsening an already dire crisis.

With Gaza City now on the brink of a full-scale military takeover, international pressure is mounting for a ceasefire to avert further civilian suffering.

Yet, for those fleeing the city, survival remains the only priority.