The United Nations confirmed on Saturday that 800,000 Palestinians have left the southern Gaza town of Rafah as Israel launches an offensive against a Hamas battalion in the southern region.
The controversial head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, announced the number of evacuees and warned of the risks they face.
Almost half of Rafah’s population, or 800,000 people, has once again been forced to flee since the Israeli army began a military operation in the area on May 6.
In response to evacuation orders asking people to evacuate to so-called safe zones…— Philip Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) May 18, 2024
The number of evacuees is far higher than estimates discussed ahead of the Israeli operation, which began on May 6 amid opposition from the United States.
The Biden administration has warned that an attack on Rafah could result in civilian casualties.
That seems unlikely, given the distance of most of the city’s residents. However, many of those on the streets lack access to basic services, and not all of them are encamped in “safe” areas such as the al-Mwasi humanitarian zone.
Israel says defeating Hamas in Rafah is critical to the success of its war against the terrorist group that attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians. .
Rafah is located in a strategic location near the Egyptian border.report show Israel says it has already identified about 50 cross-border tunnels used to smuggle weapons from Egypt to Gaza.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
