Israel has identified the southern Gaza city of Rafah as the next target in its military offensive against Hamas. Rafah, which borders Egypt, is normally home to 280,000 people. But its population has swelled to over 1.5 million – roughly three-quarters of Gaza’s population — as Palestinians flee fighting, destruction and hunger elsewhere in the territory. Sprawling tent camps now dot the city.
Quick Read
- Rafah Targeted: Israel has designated Rafah in southern Gaza as the next focus of its military offensive against Hamas.
- Population Surge: Normally home to 280,000, Rafah’s population has ballooned to over 1.5 million due to displacement from conflict zones in Gaza, making up about three-quarters of Gaza’s total population. The city is now filled with sprawling tent camps.
- Satellite Analysis: Satellite imagery analyzed by The Associated Press shows a significant population shift in Rafah, particularly near the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp. Images from Oct. 13, 2023, and Jan. 14 reveal the transformation of scrubland into a dense tent city housing displaced people.
- Refugee Camp: The area shown in the satellite photos is part of the larger Rafah refugee camp, one of eight urban camps in Gaza established for families displaced by the 1948 conflict surrounding Israel’s creation.
- International Concern: The international community, including the U.S., has expressed concern for civilian safety in Rafah, especially in the event of an Israeli ground invasion.
- Evacuation Plans: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah to avoid casualties during the anticipated ground invasion.
- Recent Airstrikes: Airstrikes in central Gaza and Rafah have resulted in the deaths of nearly two dozen individuals, including women and children, heightening concerns for civilian safety.
The Associated Press has the story:
Gaza’s Rafah: From 200K to 1.5M people, images show war’s impact
Newslooks- RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) —
Israel has identified the southern Gaza city of Rafah as the next target in its military offensive against Hamas.
Rafah, which borders Egypt, is normally home to 280,000 people. But its population has swelled to over 1.5 million – roughly three-quarters of Gaza’s population — as Palestinians flee fighting, destruction and hunger elsewhere in the territory. Sprawling tent camps now dot the city.
Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC taken three months apart and analyzed by The Associated Press capture the massive population shift since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war.
They show an area near the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp on Oct. 13, 2023, the war’s sixth day, and Jan. 14 of this year. In what was once scrubland near farm fields, the newer image shows a tent city. Hundreds of makeshift shelters surround a warehouse that is a distribution center for the limited aid now entering the besieged Gaza Strip.
The area surveyed in both photos is part of the wider Rafah refugee camp, one of eight urban camps in the Gaza Strip that were built for families displaced during the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948.
The U.S. and other members of the international community have raised concerns about the safety of civilians if Israeli troops move into Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday he had ordered the military to draw up plans to evacuate civilians from the packed city before an expected Israeli ground invasion.
Israeli airstrikes hit central Gaza and Rafah overnight into Friday, killing nearly two dozen people including women and children, witnesses and hospital officials said.
