Rafah - Saba:
The Government Media Office revealed that the Zionist enemy has turned Rafah Governorate into a "closed military operations zone," completely isolating it from the rest of the Gaza Strip.
The government office said in a statement that Rafah is a red zone, and the enemy continues to commit horrific massacres against defenseless civilians, causing systematic and comprehensive destruction of infrastructure, vital facilities, and residential homes, rendering the city uninhabitable.
The statement added: Despite the ceasefire agreement coming into effect on January 19, 2025, the enemy's killing machine has not stopped and continues to shed the blood of innocents. The Ministry of Health has recorded the deaths of dozens in recent days.
The statement read: Rafah, which has an area of 60 square kilometers and is home to approximately 300,000 people, represents approximately 16% of the Gaza Strip's area, reflecting the scale of a horrific tragedy.
He said, "Hospitals were bombed by the enemy, streets were bulldozed, buildings were destroyed, mosques, markets, and public squares were completely wiped out. The mayor of Rafah, Ahmed al-Sufi, declared the city a "disaster area" in light of the forced displacement and destruction it suffered, from which neither homes nor people were spared."
He pointed out that the enemy destroyed more than 90% of Rafah's homes, representing more than 20,000 buildings containing more than 50,000 housing units. He also noted the destruction of 22 of the city's 24 water wells, including the main "Canada Well" and the distribution pumps, depriving tens of thousands of families of potable water.
The governorate suffered the destruction of more than 85% of its sewage networks, transforming the city into an infected environment ripe for the spread of epidemics and diseases. He also noted the destruction and demolition of 320 kilometers of roads.
Twelve medical centers were completely out of service, most notably the Martyr Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital, which the occupation forces destroyed with an explosive robot. The maternity hospital and the Indonesian hospital were also destroyed, along with eight schools and educational institutions, and the remaining schools and educational institutions sustained extensive damage. The enemy also completely or severely destroyed more than 100 mosques, rendering them unfit for worship. Tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land were razed, trees and greenhouses were destroyed, and 30 of the governorate's 36 headquarters were destroyed, including the main headquarters of the Rafah Municipality. Along the border with Egypt, the occupation forces destroyed an area 12,000 meters long and 500 to 900 meters deep, obliterating 90% of residential neighborhoods, particularly in the Al-Salam, Al-Brazil, Al-Junaina, and Rafah camp neighborhoods. He pointed out that the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing for more than a month has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis to an unprecedented degree, preventing the arrival of fuel needed to operate the remaining water pumps and preventing the entry of spare parts necessary to repair what was destroyed by the aggression. This has exacerbated the suffering of the Palestinian people, who live in tragic conditions lacking even the most necessities of life.
The statement from the Government Media Office called for pressure on the enemy army to withdraw from Rafah Governorate to enable the return of residents to the ruins of their homes.
It also called for the provision of safe corridors to provide relief to the besieged residents of Rafah Governorate, who are threatened by the enemy with sniper fire, killing, and extermination.
It called for the dispatch of fact-finding missions to investigate the war crimes and genocide committed by the enemy in Rafah Governorate.
He stated that the completely isolated Rafah Governorate was not only bombed but was also systematically destroyed and wiped out, a scene that reflects the enemy's premeditated intention to empty the land of its people and alter its geographic and demographic features.
| more of (International) |