Palestinians in Gaza seek shelter in schools

Palestinians in Gaza have fled their homes, as Israel continues its attacks on Gaza.

Many say they are afraid of future attacks from Israel, which they expect in the coming hours and days. 

"We have been told to seek shelters in schools, our family of around 25 people has tried to find somewhere safe to stay in case Israel responds to the attacks. We are close to the border, so it's a bit worrying. This is the fourth time we've had to leave our homes because of Israeli strikes,"  Abu Ghazi, from north Gaza, told Middle East Eye.

Local residents say that young children have been particularly afraid. 

"We had to leave our homes for the children because of all the rockets," Feryal al-Attar, a 60-year-old, told Middle East Eye.

"We've all had to go to schools to try and stay safe, we're mostly children and women... we have nothing else to do."

According to Attar, this is the fourth time they have beenforced to leave their homes due to Israeli attacks. 

"We are afraid, we don't know if we'll live or not," she said.

Aseel, a 12-year-old, told Middle East Eye that they are in a state of panic.

"We're scared of a war, but we want to go back to our homes," she said. 

Another resident said they made the journey to schools in the night, prioritising the safety of children. 

"We don't know how long this will last, but we don't want to put our children's lives at risk," she said.