FALCON POWERS – As the battles intensified on the outskirts of the city of Rafah on Wednesday, with Israeli forces approaching, Palestinians began to flee once again, leaving the city in southern Gaza Strip to become ghost towns.
Israel has threatened a major attack on Rafah to defeat thousands of fighters from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) whom they claim are taking refuge there. However, over a million people sought shelter in the city, prompting the United Nations to warn of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israeli forces tasked with destroying Hamas have gained control of the main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in Rafah on Tuesday, cutting off a vital route for delivering aid to the region, where malnutrition is widespread.
The Israeli army stated that it is conducting a limited operation in Rafah to kill militants and dismantle the infrastructure used by Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. The army instructed civilians to head to an “expanded humanitarian area” about 20 kilometers away.
Three residents of Rafah told Reuters over the phone that tens of thousands have fled the city, which was considered the last refuge for Palestinians who have been displaced multiple times due to Israeli airstrikes that have devastated Gaza.
The Israeli army ordered residents of the neighborhoods of Al-Junaina, Ash-Shawka, As-Salam, and other areas to evacuate before launching an attack. Approximately 1.4 million people seek refuge in Rafah, increasing the likelihood of significant casualties.
A 35-year-old man, who requested anonymity out of fear of Israeli retaliation, said, “Some streets look like ghost towns.”
He added via a chat application, “We are not afraid of death and martyrdom, but we have children to take care of, and we also need to live so that when the war is over, we can rebuild Gaza.” The war erupted after a Hamas attack on October 7th that resulted in the killing of 1,200 people and the taking of over 200 hostages into the enclave, according to Israeli statistics.
Warnings
Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery bombardments that killed around 35,000 people, according to health authorities in Gaza, turning a significant part of one of the world’s most densely populated areas into ruins.
Many residents of Rafah reported receiving warnings via their phones, and aircraft dropped leaflets.
Julie Tomeh, spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stated that around 10,000 Palestinians had left Rafah since Monday.
The Gaza government’s media office, run by Hamas, stated that the number of evacuees reached tens of thousands and warned of a “massacre.”
Residents pointed out that tanks moving to seize control of the crossing did not enter populated areas, and the fighting was still taking place outside the city’s borders.
Suleiman Abu Kweik said, “This is the fourth displacement. Our homes were destroyed in Gaza, and we moved from Gaza to Khan Yunis, and Khan Yunis was threatened, so we moved to Rafah. We settled in this house, but now we don’t know where to go.” Hamas stated that its fighters are battling Israeli forces in eastern Rafah. Residents also reported seeing smoke rising from locations east of the city due to airstrikes and tank shelling.
