The Israeli army intensified its ground operations in central Gaza yesterday, Friday, leading to a significant wave of mass displacement towards the southern part of the strip. This occurred after the north became almost empty of residents following the initial weeks of the Israeli army's ground operation, during which residents were urged to move southward. According to the United Nations, tens of thousands are flowing into the already crowded town of Rafah in the far south, fleeing the Israeli bombardment in central Gaza.
Residents in Gaza reported that dozens have been killed, as large numbers of displaced people reached Rafah by truck and on foot. Those who could not find space in overcrowded shelters have set up tents along the roadside. Bombing operations and attempts to advance continued on multiple fronts over the weekend, with ongoing artillery shelling and airstrikes.
Twelve weeks into the war, Israeli forces have reduced many buildings in the Gaza Strip to rubble, with most of the 2.3 million residents displaced from their homes at least once, while many are now fleeing for a third or fourth time. Residents sought refuge in areas designated by Israel as safe, but these too have been subjected to bombardment. The expanding Israeli campaign focuses on the refugee camps in al-Bureij, al-Nuseirat, and al-Maghazi in central Gaza, where Israeli planes and artillery have flattened buildings. The UN agency UNRWA announced that about 1.9 million people have been displaced within Gaza since the war began, representing around 80 percent of the strip's population.
