One million people have fled Rafah in southern Gaza according to the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). There have been reports of overnight attacks in southern, central, and northern locations by Israeli forces. The city of Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt had been home to well over a million people who were displaced due to nearly eight months of daily bombardment by the Israeli military in response to a Hamas-led terror attack in southern Israel on 7 October.
Thousands of families are now seeking shelter in damaged and destroyed facilities in Khan Younis, where UNRWA continues to provide essential services despite increasing challenges. Conditions are dire, as indicated by UNRWA in a post on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter.
Three days ago, US President Joe Biden unveiled a ceasefire proposal based on a phased end to the war. The proposal reportedly involves the withdrawal of Israeli forces from built-up areas, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, as well as a plan for Gaza reconstruction.
According to UNRWA, thousands of families have sought shelter in badly damaged buildings in Khan Younis, a city just north of Rafah, estimated to be home to 1.7 million people. All 36 of UNRWA’s shelters in Rafah are now empty.
UNRWA continues to provide basic humanitarian relief despite increasingly difficult conditions. The challenges are illustrated by striking photographs of a young girl sitting alone on a rubble-strewn stairwell and huge mounds of rubble and twisted metal next to a largely unscathed building.
UNRWA highlights the daily struggles faced by extremely vulnerable people in Gaza and cites the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) estimate that around 18,500 pregnant women have been forced to flee Rafah, with about 10,000 more remaining there in desperate conditions. Access to healthcare and maternal supplies is minimal, putting the health of mothers and babies at risk.