Israel has forced more than one million Palestinians in Gaza to flee to Rafah, a small city in the south, claiming it to be a ‘safe zone’. For months, the Israeli military has been bombing Palestinians there. Now, they are planning a ground invasion.
This is the latest stage of Israel’s military onslaught that the International Court of Justice ruled may amount to genocide. An invasion of Rafah must not be allowed to go ahead.
Email your MP now to demand the UK government does everything it can to stop the invasion of Rafah and avert a further health and humanitarian catastrophe.
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“When I arrived into Rafah I saw children sitting at the side of the road with empty plates and saucepans outstretched, not wearing shoes. Untreated human waste sits, breeding disease, in lakes right beside the tents where these children and their families are trying to survive.”
– Melanie Ward, MAP’s CEO, who visited Rafah in April.
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Following Israel’s ‘evacuation’ orders for areas in northern and central Gaza, over two thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, including more than 600,000 children, have sought shelter in Rafah.
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Most have been driven from their homes multiple times and are now living on less than 20% of Gaza’s land (approximately 60 square kilometres) leading to extreme overcrowding. Many people are now sleeping on the streets, in the grounds of hospitals, or in makeshift tents.
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Israeli military airstrikes have targeted Rafah for months now, killing civilians, including children. Recently, they have intensified ahead of a looming ground invasion.
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People in Rafah are already facing famine and are impacted by infectious diseases. The sheer number of internally displaced people has overwhelmed the available bed capacities in hospitals, which are now unable to meet the healthcare needs of the population.
There is no safe place for Palestinians in Gaza, not in the north, the Middle Area, or in Rafah in the south – not even in so-called ‘safe zones.’ An Israeli military invasion will lead to thousands more Palestinians killed and injured, prevent the majority of aid entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing, and increase the risk of forcible transfer of Palestinians into Egypt.
TAKE ACTION NOW TO PROTECT PALESTINIANS IN RAFAH.
