On Tuesday, the Israeli army intensified the bombing of various parts of the Gaza Strip, especially in Rafah, in the Southport area of the coastal enclave, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, including many children and women.
On Tuesday evening, the army fired a missile at Palestinians, fleeing their homes southeast of Gaza City, killing one Palestinian and wounding several others.
Eyewitnesses said an Israeli military drone fired a missile at the Palestinians near Doula Junction at the intersection between Street 8 and Zeitoun neighborhood, killing at least one and wounding many others, who were moved to the Baptist Hospital.
In Rafah, in Gaza’s southmost part, the army fired missiles at homes in several parts of the city, killing many Palestinians, including children, and wounding dozens.
Medical sources said an infant, Mohammad Saqallah, only four months, in addition to Mohammad Nader Qishta, 6 years of age, and Hamadan Nader Qishta, 8, were killed when the army fired a missile at their homes.
The sources added that a Palestinian man, Ibrahim Yousef Srour, 35, was killed when the army bombarded the Rafah Border Terminal, as he and many families were trying to flee the area after the Israeli tanks invaded it, and dozens were injured.
The army also fired many smoke bombs and live rounds at dozens of Palestinians, west of the terminal, and a missile at a home in the Al-Jneina neighborhood, east of Rafah.
Furthermore, the army fired missiles at homes in the Shaboura area, in the center of Rafah, and the Adbul-Al area, northeast of Khirbet Al-Adas, northeast of Rafah, causing many casualties.
Casualties were also reported in the Israeli bombing and shelling of homes in Camp 2 in Nusseirat, and east of Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza.
It is worth mentioning that, after the Israeli army destroyed various parts of the Rafah Border Terminal and completely occupied it, all humanitarian aid entering Gaza through the border crossing ceased, which also means that all patients and seriously wounded Palestinians are unable to leave the Gaza Strip.
Rafah: a city of children.
Hundreds of thousands of them are sick, living with disabilities, malnourished or traumatized.
The children of Gaza need a ceasefire NOW. pic.twitter.com/ZJc0BmdpFc
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) May 7, 2024
Rafah, only about 65 square kilometers, is where more than 1.5 million Palestinians are trying to shelter after the Israeli army bombarded and destroyed the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip and are facing very difficult living conditions in tents and makeshift shelters without access to basic supplies and infrastructure that could accommodate those large numbers of families.
The massive invasion of Rafah, and the control of the Rafah Border Terminal, despite alleged “objections” from the United States, was coordinated with the White House after Israel “promised” that it would not be harming the civilians there, but only wanted to control the terminal which was seen as a “symbol for the power Hamas movement,” and its occupation is also aiming at weakening the position of the movement regarding potential ceasefire and prisoner-swap deals.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued several desperate pleas to Israel to reopen the Rafah Border Terminal, deescalate its military offensive in the city, and immediately address the humanitarian catastrophe.
Guterres called on Israel to immediately open both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings to allow deliveries of life-saving humanitarian and medical aid deliveries.
Israel has now killed at least 34.789 Palestinians, inducing more than 14.873 children and 9.801 women, mostly wounded and children, and injured more than 78.204, in addition to the thousands who remain under the rubble, on destroyed streets and alleys.
