The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has reported that forced displacement has pushed over a million Palestinians away from the Gazan city of Rafah. The small city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip had been sheltering around 1 million Palestinians who fled Israeli assaults on other parts of the enclave, according to aid groups.
Israeli Military Operation Targets Hamas in Rafah
Kabul 24: Since early May, Israel’s military has been carrying out what it says is a limited operation in Rafah to root out Hamas fighters and dismantle infrastructure used by the Palestinian militant group that runs Gaza. The Israeli military has told civilians to go to an “expanded humanitarian zone” some 20 km (12 miles) away.
Palestinians Vulnerable to Attacks Wherever They Go
Many Palestinians have complained they are vulnerable to Israeli attacks wherever they go and have been moving up and down the Gaza Strip in the past few months. UNRWA said thousands of families now shelter in damaged and destroyed facilities in the city of Khan Younis, where the agency is providing essential services despite “increasing challenges”.
Unspeakable Conditions for Displaced Palestinians
The agency described the conditions for the displaced Palestinians as “unspeakable”, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing conflict and displacement.
