(BBC News) David Gritten - Almost 600,000 Palestinians have left the southern Gaza city of Rafah since the start of an Israeli ground operation in the city's eastern outskirts nine days ago, including 150,000 people in the past 48 hours, the UN say. The IDF ordered civilians to evacuate eastern Rafah for their own safety before starting the assaults. On Tuesday, UNRWA posted several photos showing empty streets in Rafah which were packed with tents and makeshift shelters before the start of the Israeli operation. UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge said families had "moved as far west as possible" and had set up tents on beaches along the Mediterranean coast. Further inland was "now a ghost town."
2024-05-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive