RAFAH, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression on Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and have penetrated deeper into the city, at a time when the number of internally displaced persons from it has risen to 900,000 displaced along with residents.
Local sources said that the occupation forces continue, for the 18th day, to invade large parts of Rafah, noting that the southern areas of the city of Rafah, which are the Brazil neighborhood, the Qashta neighborhood, the Salah al-Din Gate, Block O, and the Yibna refugee camp, are subjected to intense gunfire, violent clashes, and continuous shelling.
The occupation forces penetrated last night to the intersection of the Al-Amawi restaurant on the outskirts of the Yibna camp, where the area is witnessing violent clashes and intermittent artillery and air strikes.
Israeli tanks also reached the center of the Al-Juneinah neighborhood, with the sound of heavy gunfire from helicopter gunships heard in the area, while a citizen was killed and others were injured in the Israeli army targeting of a horse cart at the Kir intersection in the center of Rafah.
The occupation forces continued to carry out air strikes, shell houses, and fire artillery shells in various areas of the city.
Meanwhile, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said that about 900,000 people have been forcibly displaced from the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, due to the ongoing Israeli military operation.
It explained, in a statement on Friday, that the displaced have moved to areas hosting large numbers, which are suffering from lack of services.
The occupation forces began a military operation in the city of Rafah, south of the Strip, on the sixth of this month, and called on citizens and the displaced to the eastern areas of the city, to head to the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Strip, and then expanded its military operation to include other areas of the city, with continuous intense artillery and missile shelling, by land, air and sea.
On May 5th of this month, the occupation forces completely closed the Karam Abu Salem crossing, southeast of the city of Rafah, and prevented the entry of humanitarian and medical aid, and on the seventh of the same month, the occupation forces occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, and stopped the flow of aid to the Strip, and they continue to close the two crossings until today.
