JAKARTA - As fighting raged on the outskirts of the Israeli army's Rafah, Palestinians returned to movement, leaving the environment in the southern Gaza city and making it a ghost city.
Israel has threatened to carry out a massive offensive in Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters they say are hiding there.
But more than a million people took refuge in the city, sparking warnings from the United Nations about a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israeli forces tasked with destroying Hamas, on Tuesday, May 7, seized the main border between Gaza and Egypt in Rafah, cutting off an important path for aid to the enclave, where malnutrition is widespread.
The Israeli military said it carried out limited operations in Rafah to kill fighters and dismantle the infrastructure used by Hamas, which controls Gaza. They ordered civilians to go to an expanded humanitarian zone about 20 km (12 miles) away.
SEE ALSO:
Three Rafah residents told Reuters on Wednesday, May 8, by telephone, tens of thousands of people had fled the city, which is seen as the final shelter for Palestinians who have repeatedly been displaced by Israeli airstrikes that destroyed Gaza.
People in Jneina, Al-Shawka, Al-Salam and other neighborhoods were ordered by Israeli soldiers to leave to anticipate attacks.
About 1.4 million people took refuge in Rafah, thereby increasing the chances of multiple casualties.
Some streets now look like ghost cities, said Aref, 35, who asked not to be named.
"We are not afraid of death and martyrdom, but we have children to care for and live until the next day when this war ends and we rebuild this city," he told Reuters.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
Most Popular Tags
#Prabowo Subianto #Pilkada Dki #israel #Tom Lembong #red and white cabinet #sritexPopular
