‘There will likely be massacres’: Palestinians in Rafah communicate of their fears | Israel Battle on Gaza

Rafah, Gaza Strip – About 1.5 million Palestinians, most of them displaced, are squeezed into the small metropolis of Rafah within the southern Gaza Strip.

They’ve been expelled from their properties in different elements of Gaza throughout Israel’s assault on the besieged enclave, which has killed greater than 28,000 folks.

Israel had designated Rafah a “protected zone”, however now, it’s threatening a floor invasion, leaving greater than 1,000,000 folks trapped there, terrified, with nowhere else to go.

Rafah is the most recent in a collection of areas that Israel has mentioned can be “protected zones” for civilians to shelter in from what’s now 4 months of assaults, however Israel has attacked one after the opposite, forcing folks out repeatedly.

There have been worldwide condemnations of Israel’s plan to invade Rafah however Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’s decided to proceed, claiming that it will “end Hamas”, which is the declared intent behind the assault on Gaza.

Senior Hamas leaders have mentioned that such a transfer on Israel’s half would finish any risk of negotiations between the 2 sides.

Towards this backdrop, the concern and panic that has taken maintain of individuals in Rafah continues to construct. Al Jazeera spoke to a number of Palestinians who ended up in Rafah due to the warfare, a few of whom had been displaced many occasions over.

‘Nowhere else to go’

Umm al-Abed Fayyad mentioned she and her household have been displaced 4 occasions up to now.

“We’re in a special space each month. The final place we have been in was Khan Younis, and now we’re in Rafah,” she defined.

When requested how she feels about the potential of an Israeli invasion, Umm al-Abed Fayyad mentioned she has “nowhere else to go”.

“The Israelis are in all places. The place are we going to go?” she requested, noting that individuals throughout them are “hungry and homeless”.

Like others within the space, she says: “Regardless of how a lot they threaten, we won’t transfer once more, and God keen, we will likely be victorious. We are going to persevere and stay affected person.”

Asaad Hassan, one other Palestinian displaced from Gaza Metropolis to Rafah, is unwell. His solely want, he says, is “to return to my residence and for the aggression to cease”.

“We’ve got nowhere else to go however to the grave, in the event that they perform their threats to invade Rafah,” Hassan instructed Al Jazeera.

Israel’s warfare on the besieged Gaza Strip started on October 7. That day, the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, which governs Gaza, launched assaults on southern Israel, killing 1,139 folks and taking about 240 again into Gaza.

Israel instantly responded with a bombardment marketing campaign adopted by a land invasion of northern Gaza.

A minimum of 28,340 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, nearly all of them ladies and kids, whereas 67,984 have been wounded previously 4 months.

The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.three million residents have been compelled out of their properties, and greater than 60 p.c of all infrastructure within the strip has been demolished.

‘There will likely be massacres’

Umm Badr Abu Salme mentioned she moved together with her household to Rafah primarily based on orders from the Israeli military that it will be safer.

“We got here to Rafah, and now they’re telling us to go away,” she instructed Al Jazeera. “There will likely be massacres. There isn’t a different place to go. Rafah is our final refuge. This warfare should cease.”

“Anybody who strikes is killed,” Abu Salme mentioned. “We’ve got no protected place to go to.”

Mohammed Madi, who’s a medic, has been displaced a number of occasions since he was compelled to go away his residence in Gaza Metropolis.

“If the occupation follows by way of with its threats to invade Rafah, will probably be a catastrophe,” Madi instructed Al Jazeera.

“Nonetheless, I gained’t depart Rafah as a result of the place will we go? The remainder of Gaza is destroyed. I’ll die right here earlier than I depart,” he mentioned.

“We name on the Arab nations … to take a call and finish this genocidal warfare in opposition to Gaza,” Madi mentioned.

On December 29, South Africa filed a case in opposition to Israel on the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice, arguing that it’s finishing up genocide in opposition to the Palestinian folks, a time period many have used to explain Israel’s warfare on Gaza.

Journalist Alaa Salameh, a resident of Rafah who has coated the warfare everywhere in the Strip, mentioned he’ll stay to report from the town regardless of the Israeli threats.

“The Israeli military carried out numerous massacres throughout the Gaza Strip. If it invades Rafah, it’ll do the identical,” Salameh instructed Al Jazeera.

“The occupation doesn’t comply with worldwide legislation. In the event that they invade Rafah, there will likely be no protected place,” he continued. “There must be world strain to stop this potential crime from taking place.”

He famous that Israel has already killed 1000’s of Palestinians in air strikes on Rafah over the previous few months.

Haifaa Mohammad Abdelhamid Saleh was compelled to go away her residence in Gaza Metropolis and got here to Rafah. “We left on October 14. We didn’t need to depart Gaza Metropolis or our properties, however the Israeli occupation instructed us that we’d be protected if we did.”

“We hope they don’t invade Rafah. In the event that they do, there will likely be a humanitarian catastrophe – not simply amongst refugees but additionally for the residents of the town,” Saleh mentioned.

“They burned down every part in Gaza. They need to take out their revenge on the resistance in Gaza.”