By WAFAA SHURAFA, JULIA FRANKEL and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD, Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — As artillery and bombs pound around Gaza’s largest city and Israel promises a punishing new offensive , Palestinians in the city are paralyzed with fear — unsure where to go, when to leave and if they will ever return.

Israel has declared Gaza City, in the north of the territory, to be a combat zone while the military moves forward with plans to overtake it in a campaign to push Hamas into submission. Parts of the city are already considered “red zones,” where Palestinians have been ordered to evacuate ahead of expected heavy fighting. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

That has left residents on edge, incl

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