Tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled to the southernmost town in Gaza to escape the Israeli bombardment of the strip’s center. A senior U.N. official criticized Israel for maintaining “severe restrictions” on aid access. This criticism follows the U.N. Security Council’s recent call for an immediate increase in humanitarian deliveries to Gaza. Israel’s extensive air and ground offensive against Hamas has displaced around 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, leading people to seek shelter in areas designated as safe by Israel, which have also been targeted in the military campaign. This has left Palestinians with a distressing sense that nowhere in the enclave is truly safe.
Nearly the entire population is fully dependent on outside humanitarian aid, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. A quarter of the population is starving because too few trucks enter with food, medicine, fuel and other supplies — sometimes fewer than 100 trucks a day, according to U.N. daily reports.
Drone footage captured on Friday revealed an extensive camp with thousands of tents and makeshift shacks established on previously vacant land at the western outskirts of Rafah, adjacent to U.N. warehouses. The influx of people to Rafah occurred through various means, including trucks, carts, and on foot. Due to the overwhelming demand for shelter, individuals who couldn’t find space in already crowded facilities resorted to pitching tents on roadsides, often covered in mud from winter rains. The imagery highlights the challenging conditions and urgent need for adequate shelter amid the displacement caused by the ongoing conflict. the southernmost town
The recent influx of displaced individuals has resulted in the town of Rafah and its surrounding area being densely populated, with approximately 850,000 people – more than triple the usual population, as reported by U.N. figures. Juliette Touma, the Director of Communications for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), highlighted the challenging circumstances, noting that some people are sleeping in their cars, while others are forced to sleep in the open due to the overwhelming demand for shelter. The surge in population underscores the urgent humanitarian crisis and the need for immediate assistance in the region.