Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah following Israeli evacuation orders issued on 6 May. Euphoria and celebration following news that Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal to end seven months of war quickly gave way to fear and panic. Israel rejected the terms of the deal Hamas had agreed to and invaded part of eastern Rafah, seizing control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. As international diplomatic wrangling over a potential temporary ceasefire deal continues, it’s unclear whether the evacuation orders and military escalation are the beginning of Israel’s long-threatened full-scale invasion of Rafah or a more limited campaign. For months, Rafah - the only city in Gaza that has not been nearly entirely laid to waste by Israeli bombardment - has been the last refuge for around 1.5 million Palestinians, about 80% of them forcibly displaced from other parts of the enclave. Many are not waiting to see what happens next. They’ve picked up their few remaining possessions and are heading for other parts of Gaza, as Mohamed Soulaimane reports in this video dispatch. The problem, however, is that the areas Israel has designated as a ‘safe zone’ are mostly sand dunes and rubble, and humanitarian organisations say the escalation in Rafah is grinding the already hobbled aid operation almost to a halt.
Негізгі бет Tens of thousands of Palestinians are fleeing Rafah
No video
Пікірлер: 3