Displaced Palestinians Flock to Rafah, Fleeing Israeli Raids in Khan Younis
(AWP) - A large influx of people displaced from Khan Younis, who had previously fled to it to escape the shelling in areas further north, are flocking into the city of Rafah, southern Gaza. The pace of Israeli military operations in Khan Younis and its vicinity, including air raids and ground incursions, is accelerating and the number of Palestinians having to flee, in many cases again, are growing in number.
In Rafah, a displaced man named Tariq said the people displaced from Khan Younis do not know where to go.
He explained, “The houses of those who have relatives are already full. The schools are full. All places are like that. The people are in the streets. They are making the long journey from Khan Younis on foot. Can you imagine that? Some of them have children and are carrying all their belongings. Life is very, very tough. May God protect us from what is yet to come.”
Eyewitnesses told the Arab World Press (AWP) on Tuesday that Israeli military vehicles have embarked on a ground invasion of southern Gaza, focusing on areas east of Khan Younis, namely Bani Suhaila, where dozens of vehicles are attempting to advance in the area.
The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said it fired rockets at an Israeli tank and three military vehicles in the east of Khan Younis.
Israel’s intensive attacks on Gaza have resumed since Friday, following the expiry of a week-long truce that allowed prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said on Monday that nearly 1.9 million Palestinians, making up to 80% of the total population of the Gaza Strip, have been displaced from their homes since the outbreak of the war on October 7.