1.4 million Palestinians in Rafah facing danger of death as the occupation escalates aggression on the city

Occupied Al-Quds, (ST) – The Israeli occupation launched dozens of military airstrikes and drone raids on the city of Rafah, south of Gaza Strip, at dawn today.

These raids resulted in the death of more than 100 Palestinians and the injury of hundreds, in a clear continuation of the genocidal war on Gaza, despite international warnings of the repercussions of the escalation of the aggression and the invasion of the city, which constitutes the last refuge for 1.4 million Palestinians who were forced by the occupation to flee their homes in Gaza Strip to crowd in the streets of the city without shelter, lacking the most basic necessities of life.

The occupation’s violent bombardment continued for hours to cover up the incursion of its forces into the far northwest of the city. It destroyed more than 14 houses on the heads of their residents, while ambulance and rescue crews were unable to reach the targeted areas until hours later due to the violent bombardment.

The Paramedics confirmed that most of the victims were children, and that rescue operations are very slow due to the lack of equipment and the great destruction inflicted on the affected areas.

Suhaib Al-Hams, Director of a Rafah hospital, affirmed that the occupation used internationally banned incendiary missiles in its raids on the city, and that most of the injuries were amputations, brain injuries, and severe burns. He criticized the international double standards that enable the occupation to continue its massacres.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that the medical and humanitarian reality in Rafah is extremely catastrophic, and that the number of the victims of the occupation’s bombing of the city is greater than the capacity of the hospitals. It pointed out that doctors are lying on the ground to treat the wounded due to weak health infrastructure.

The Palestinian Red Crescent warned that the occupation’s invasion of the city would mean a death sentence for the people of Gaza Strip, most of whom had taken refuge there. It indicated that Rafah was suffering from a loss of health services and the spread of a large number of epidemics among the ranks of the displaced.

The Palestinian presidency called on the international community, especially the American administration, to take urgent action to prevent the occupation from invading Rafah, because this would mean that thousands of people will be victims and the occupation will be forced to stop the genocidal war. It said that the claim of the prime Minister  of the occupation government Benjamin Netanyahu about a so-called “safe corridor” is pure nonsense and deception to the world, because there is no longer a safe place in Gaza Strip, and the people cannot return to their homes in the light of the continuous bombing of the center and north of Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian presidency also stressed that the forced displacement of the people outside Gaza Strip is unacceptable.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that the massacre committed by the occupation in Rafah confirms the rightness of international warnings and fears about the catastrophic consequences of expanding and deepening the occupation war in the city which is crowded with displaced people.

The Ministry said that the occupation’s ongoing massacres in the Strip aim to force its people to forcibly emigrate.

The Palestinian Resistance has made it clear that the enemy’s terrorist aggression against Rafah is a complex crime, a continuation of the genocidal war and an expansion of the area of the war to commit more massacres against the Palestinians.

The Resistance indicated that the occupation ignores the decisions of the International Court of Justice that were issued two weeks ago, and approved urgent measures that include halting any steps that could be considered acts of genocide. It held the American administration fully responsible for this massacre, due to the open support it provides with money, weapons, and political cover to continue the war of genocide.

The Resistance called on the international community and the Security Council to take urgent and serious action to stop the Zionist aggression.

The statements of occupation officials, a few days ago, about the invasion of Rafah were met with widespread Arab and international rejection and condemnations.

Raghda Sawas