- [Narrator] Thousands of Palestinians,

nearly half of them women

and children have been killed and injured

after a week of Israeli strikes on Gaza

according to officials in the enclave.

(airstrikes booming)

The attacks are Israel's response

to the assault by Hamas militants,

which killed over 1,400 Israelis on October 7th,

many of them women and children.

(Benjamin speaking in Hebrew)

On Friday, Israel demanded people in Gaza City to evacuate

to the southern part of the enclave,

prompting fears of a humanitarian disaster.

But as the Israeli forces turn parts of Gaza into rubble,

the question is can Palestinian civilians

actually hide anywhere from the strikes?

The Gaza Strip is a sliver of land bordering Israel

and Egypt, twice the size of Washington, D.C.

With more than two million people living there,

it is one of the most densely populated places on Earth.

(airstrike booming)

Over the past week, nearly half

of the Strip's population have fled their homes

according to the United Nations.

(Howida speaking in foreign language)

People have sought shelter

in UN-run schools, hospitals, and local hotels,

many of which have been hit

by Israeli bombing according to the UN.

But hardly anyone could flee the enclave.

That is because Gaza has been

under blockade from both Israel and Egypt since 2007

when Hamas seized to control of the area,

making it difficult to leave Gaza even before the war.

A heavily fortified perimeter

called the Iron Wall separates Gaza and Israel.

Normally, some people could cross the border

at this crossing,

but not since the Hamas militants raided it.

The border between Egypt and Gaza is also fortified

with only one point to get through at Rafah Crossing.

But Palestinians can't pass it without a special permit

(people shouting)

and Israeli forces have bombed the crossing several times

in recent days, making it even more difficult to cross

for those who have permission,

according to local authorities,

Egyptian officials, and the UN.

With Israel's military having ordered a total siege on Gaza,

supplies of food and fuel

are no longer reaching the enclave.

Getting aid via Egypt is also complicated by the bombing

of the Rafah Crossing.

On Tuesday, trucks purportedly carrying aid from Egypt

were forced to move back

to the Egyptian side of the border.

(airstrike booming)

As densely populated areas

of Gaza get relentlessly bombarded,

hospitals are struggling with the number of injured.

(Mohammad speaking in foreign language)

With power running out in the Strip,

the hospitals are at risk of turning into mass morgues

according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Israeli military said that it has a reduced capacity

for precision strikes because its forces are stretched thin.

Military officials haven't explained

why it attacked the Rafah border crossing

after the Israeli army ordered Gazans to evacuate

to the southern part of the enclave

accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

Hamas told civilians to stay in their homes.

But even as people go south,

the UN warns that such mass movement will lead

to devastating humanitarian consequences.

(pensive music)