Conditions inside Gaza — a city of 2.3 million people which is being bombarded by Israel — are deteriorating with every passing day. Water, power and medical supplies are running short, with the United Nations terming the situation inside the Palestinian enclave “catastrophic”.

Israel has imposed a “total siege” to stop food and fuel from reaching Palestinians in Gaza, many poor and dependent on aid in response to a surprise Hamas offensive last week that left 1,300 Israelis dead, according to officials.

In retaliatory air and artillery strikes, Israeli forces have flattened entire neighbourhoods, hospitals and schools in Gaza, killing over 2,300 people, including 724 children.

Palestinians are desperate to find a safe hiding place as the Israeli military prepares for what is expected to be a ground offensive in Gaza accompanied by relentless air strikes.

Header image: Children watch as food is cooked on firewood amid shortages of fuel and gas to provide food for Palestinians who fled their houses amid Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip