Hundreds of thousands of Gazans on Thursday, were forced to flee, marking one of the largest displacements of the ongoing war, as Israeli forces advanced into the ruins of Rafah, part of a newly designated “security zone” they plan to seize.
This escalation followed Israel’s announcement to capture significant portions of the densely populated enclave.
Israeli forces, on the southern edge of Gaza, pushed into Rafah, a city that had served as a final refuge for many fleeing other bombarded areas.
Gaza’s health ministry reported at least 97 deaths from Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours, including at least 20 killed in an attack at dawn in Gaza City’s Shejaia suburb.
A father of seven who fled Rafah to neighboring Khan Younis, told Reuters via a chat app, “Rafah is gone, it is being wiped out. They are knocking down what is left standing of houses and property.” He declined to be identified due to fear of repercussions.
After a strike killed several people in Khan Younis, Adel Abu Fakher inspected his tent’s damage, lamenting, “Is anything left for us? There’s nothing left for us. We’re being killed while asleep.”
Israel’s assault on Rafah represents a significant escalation in the conflict, reigniting after a ceasefire agreement effectively collapsed in January.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, referred to the area being targeted as the “Morag Axis,” referring to a former Israeli settlement once located between Rafah and the nearby Khan Younis.
Many Gazans who had returned to homes in the war-torn areas during the ceasefire have been ordered to flee again.
Some fear Israel’s aim is to depopulate these areas permanently, leaving hundreds of thousands without homes in one of the world’s most crowded and impoverished regions.
The security zone also includes Gaza’s remaining agricultural land and vital water infrastructure.
Since the ceasefire ended in early March without an agreement to extend it, Israel has imposed a full blockade, halting all goods into Gaza, a move that international organizations have described as worsening the humanitarian disaster after a brief period of relative calm.
Israel’s primary goal has been the dismantling of Hamas, the militant group that has controlled Gaza for nearly two decades and led the attack on Israeli communities in October 2023, sparking the war.
Despite this, no plans for an alternative administration have been made, and Hamas police returned to Gaza’s streets during the ceasefire.
The militant group still holds 59 hostages, both dead and alive, with Israel demanding their release in exchange for extending a ceasefire, while Hamas insists on an end to the war before releasing them.
Israeli officials have pointed to protests in Gaza as evidence of opposition to Hamas, with hundreds demonstrating in Beit Lahiya in the northern part of Gaza, demanding an end to Hamas’ rule.
Hamas has labeled the protesters as collaborators and accused Israel of orchestrating the demonstrations.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israeli communities, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the taking of more than 250 hostages.
According to Gaza health authorities, Israel’s military campaign has since killed over 50,000 Palestinians.
Residents of Rafah noted that most of the population had obeyed Israel’s orders to evacuate, but a strike on the main road connecting Khan Younis and Rafah disrupted movement between the two cities.
Traffic along the western coastal road near Morag was also severely limited due to continuous bombardment.
Some residents, however, chose to remain, either because they had nowhere else to go or because they had grown weary of being displaced multiple times.
“We are afraid they might be killed or at best detained,” said Basem, a Rafah resident who asked not to be named.
With markets emptied and the cost of basic goods soaring due to the blockade, the Palestinian Health Ministry has warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is at the brink of collapse.
