Gaza’s southernmost town, Rafah, is very crowded. Lots of people are coming there to escape fighting. They live in small spaces like apartments and tents. But now, they’re scared because Israel might attack Rafah next. About 1.5 million people live in Rafah now. That’s more than half of Gaza’s population. If there’s an attack, they have nowhere safe to go. Some people are tired of running away from danger.
The United Nations says attacking Rafah will be very bad, especially for the 600,000 children there. The aid system that helps people survive in Gaza might also collapse. Israel wants to attack Rafah to stop Hamas. But the United States says it’s a bad idea unless Israel has a plan for the people in Rafah. Even though the U.S. wants to reduce civilian harm, it still supports Israel’s actions. Israel blames Hamas for fighting from places where civilians live.
It’s hard to find a safe place for people in Rafah to go. They’re surrounded by Egypt, the Mediterranean Sea, and Israeli troops. Life in Rafah is tough. People live in tents, and there’s not enough food or medicine. Prices are very high, and many people don’t have enough to eat.
Groups of young men sometimes take food from aid trucks to sell or share with their families. Most people in Gaza don’t have enough to eat, and some are starving. Rafah is important for aid distribution in Gaza. But if there’s a big military operation there, it will make things even worse.
Israel wants to defeat Hamas in Gaza. They’ve already killed many Palestinians and destroyed a lot of buildings. The fighting has been focused on central Gaza and Khan Younis.
Recently, there have been more bombings in Rafah. Many people are scared and want to go back to Gaza City, where they’re from. They don’t want to stay in Rafah or go to Egypt. People in Gaza just want to go back to their homes and live in peace.
