Israel attacks, clears out eastern Rafah
Overnight and into the early hours of the morning, the Israeli military continued to pound parts of eastern Rafah city.
The majority of residential homes and farmland have been cleared, as well as the central part of Rafah city, including the vicinity of al-Najjar Hospital, which is the only large health facility in Rafah city. That facility, which has been ordered to evacuate, is not operational at all, putting more pressure on the city’s remaining health facilities.
There are reports of more casualties being taken to field hospitals in the western part of the city, including the Kuwaiti Hospital, a small health facility that is largely unprepared and unequipped to receive a large number of casualties.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued to pound the central area of Gaza. As of early this morning, loud explosions could clearly be heard from anywhere in the central area.
They were largely concentrated in the Nuseirat refugee camp, which has been repeatedly targeted. Over the past few weeks, the Israeli military stormed the northern part of the camp, destroying the vast majority of its residential homes and public facilities, forcing people into more internal displacement.
Israeli shelling kills Palestinian in Rafah
The attack, which also wounded several people, happened in the Brazil neighbourhood of eastern Rafah, our colleagues on the ground are reporting. The casualties add to dozens who have been killed and wounded in Rafah since Israel launched its military incursion on Monday.
Over the past 24 hours, the Kuwaiti Hospital, one of the few health facilities still operational in Rafah, has received the bodies of 35 people killed and 129 wounded, medical sources have told Al Jazeera.
Israeli attacks hit densely populated Rafah neighbourhoods
More air strikes and attacks concentrated in Rafah city, mainly in the eastern part, have been reported.
Within the past 45 minutes, there have been reports of constant artillery shelling of the entire eastern area, including the Salam neighbourhood. That’s in the southeastern part of Rafah city, where the vast majority of residential buildings have been targeted. The Israeli military also continues to strike at al-Jnaina neighbourhood.
These are the two most attacked neighbourhoods, not just in the last 48 hours, but since the initial weeks of this war.
I am familiar with as-Salam neighbourhood, as I sheltered there for the past five months. It is densely populated, with displaced families setting up tents on the roads and the side of the roads. Every pocket of land there turned into a tent refugee camp. Now people are forced to move out of the area to seek shelter elsewhere.
There are reports of many with injuries being transferred to field hospitals in the western part of Rafah city, as well as the Kuwaiti Hospital.
Gaza death toll rises
At least 34,844 Palestinians have been killed and 78,404 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, its Health Ministry says. The ministry added that 55 people were killed and 200 injured in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
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