The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced - Thursday - that about 80,000 people fled Rafah within 3 days since Israel intensified its military operations in the city located in the southern Gaza Strip.

UNRWA said on the “X” platform that since the Israeli occupation forces intensified their operations on May 6, about 80,000 people have fled Rafah, searching for another place to seek refuge, warning that “the losses of these families are unbearable. There is no safe place.” ".

1.5 million Palestinians live in Rafah, most of them in temporary tents after fleeing northern Gaza in search of safety after the genocidal operations launched by Israel in the northern and central Gaza Strip since last October 7.

On Monday morning, the Israeli occupation army announced the start of a military operation in the city of Rafah under the pretext that the resistance was hiding there. It said that the operation would be “limited in scope,” and issued warnings to 100,000 Palestinians to forcibly evacuate the east of the city and head to the Al-Mawasi area, southwest of the Gaza Strip.

Residents said that Israeli forces mobilized tanks and opened fire near residential gatherings in Rafah on Thursday, and a helicopter also opened fire at the eastern edge of the city, despite US President Joe Biden threatening to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces invaded the city.

In this regard, the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said yesterday, Wednesday, that the areas of Al-Mawasi and Khan Yunis, to which the occupation asked civilians to go, have already been destroyed, in addition to the presence of thousands of tons of unexploded ordnance in them, which pose a danger to civilians.

Mansour had sent three identical letters to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the Security Council for this month (Mozambique), and the President of the United Nations General Assembly, regarding Israel’s escalation against the Palestinian civilian population subject to its illegal occupation, including the attacks on Rafah.