After forcing nearly two million Palestinians to flee their homes in northern, central, eastern and western Gaza, pushing them to the southernmost point of the Gaza Strip (Rafah), the Israeli government stated on Friday that they are planning to invade the very ‘safe zone’ where they ordered Palestinians to go.
In a post on social media Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated, “Victory will not be complete until the military expands into Rafah.”
The threat came after 112 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Friday, and 148 injured. Every day since October 7th, 2023, 100 – 300 Palestinians have been killed every single day as Israeli troops bombed, invaded and ravaged every part of Gaza – from the north to the south.
Between 7 October 2023 and 13:30 on 2 February 2024, at least 27,131 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 66,287 Palestinians were injured, according to the Ministry of Health.
Between 1 and 2 February, there were no Israeli soldiers reported killed in Gaza. As of 2 February, 222 soldiers were killed and 1,296 soldiers were injured in Gaza since the beginning of the ground operation, according to the Israeli military.
Some 75 per cent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people, more than half of whom are children, are displaced according to United Nations estimates. They face acute shortages of food, water, shelter and medicine. Intense fighting around Khan Younis continues to drive thousands of people into the southern town of Rafah, which is already hosting over half of Gaza’s population. Most are living in makeshift structures, tents, or out in the open, according to UNRWA. Expressing deep concern about the prospects facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Rafah, A UN Spokesperson Jens Laerke stated: “Rafah is now a pressure cooker of despair and we fear for what happens next.”
According to Al Jazeera, “About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are crammed into Rafah near the border with Egypt, staying in residential buildings or sleeping in the streets without protection or basic infrastructure.”
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Rafah on Friday, said the displaced population there lacks basics, including toilets and sufficient clean water. They are also “unprepared for winter” with no blankets or suitable clothing, all of which puts them at risk of getting sick, he said.
Since 29 January, there were no new evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military. Since 7 October 2023, 246 square kilometres, which amount to 67 per cent of the Gaza Strip, have been placed under evacuation orders. This area was home to 1.78 million Palestinians before 7 October and, as of late December 2023, it contained 210 shelters hosting over 770,000 IDPs. It includes all areas north of Wadi Gaza, whose residents were ordered to evacuate in late October, as well as specific areas south of Wadi Gaza slated for evacuation by the Israeli military since 1 December.
