Main maternity hospital in Rafah stops admitting patients
The main maternity hospital in Rafah has stopped admitting patients, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has told Reuters.
The UNFPA said Al-Helal Al-Emairati Maternity Hospital had been handling some 85 births each day out of a total of 180 births in Gaza prior to an escalation of fighting between Hamas and Israeli troops on Rafah’s outskirts.
About 200 Palestinians leaving Rafah each hour, UNRWA says
An average of 200 people are leaving Rafah every hour following Israel’s evacuation order, according to estimates by the UN relief agency for Palestinians (UNRWA).
“The displacement is ongoing and people are leaving towards Khan Younis and the Middle Areas,” said UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma. “It’s not possible to give a total number of people displaced at the moment given how fluid the situation is,” she added.
A senior UNRWA official told US broadcaster CNN that approximately 50,000 people had left Rafah since Monday.
Rafah incursion looms: ‘Some streets look like a ghost town’
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are on the move again after being ordered to evacuate southern Rafah by the Israeli military. About 1.5 million people are sheltering there, raising the prospect of mass casualties in an Israeli ground invasion.
People in the Jneina, al-Shawka, al-Salam and other neighbourhoods have fled in anticipation of an assault.
“Some streets look like a ghost town now,” said Aref, 35, who asked his surname not be used, fearing Israeli reprisals. “We don’t fear death and martyrdom. But we have kids to care for and live for another day when this war ends and we rebuild the city.”
Displaced Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after fleeing Rafah on Wednesday