Journalist flees northern Gaza ahead of expected invasion

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

The top story we're following today, the war between Israel and Hamas. It's now been one week since Hamas militants staged a brutal ground attack that killed more than a thousand Israelis. Ever since, Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip with airstrikes. Its chief military spokesperson said today a new phase of Israel's week-long attack on Hamas may be imminent. He said Israel's military is poised to, quote, "attack Gaza City very broadly soon via air, ground at sea." And he urged people in northern Gaza to continue evacuating south. We caught up yesterday with someone who's already done that, Noor Horizon. She's a freelance journalist in Gaza.

NOOR HARAZIN: Right now, I am with my kids and husband in southern Gaza. And I had to leave my parents behind in central Gaza because they refused to leave the home. It was a very hard decision for me, but I had to choose to stay with my children. and I need to take care of them.

DETROW: She says for those who have fled, the future is full of uncertainty.

HARAZIN: People are shocked. People are trying to understand what is really happening in Gaza. Is this real? Will I come back? Will our homes be there? Will our homes be destroyed? What will happen? So many questions in my head and in other people's heads. So it's undescribable. It's a new catastrophe.

DETROW: Harazin says the people of Gaza are already running out of water, electricity, fuel and food, and now they're bracing for an invasion.

HARAZIN: The situation is just going from bad to worse. And we're hoping that - I don't know - the Arab League, any Arab country, any other country will intervene and somehow, somehow come up with a truce agreement.

DETROW: We'll have much more on all of this later in the show. And you can find all of NPR's ongoing coverage at npr.org/mideastupdates. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.