The terrorist group Hamas and the Israeli army have been fighting each other in the Palestinian territory of Gaza for almost eight months. In recent months, some 1.4 million people in Gaza have fled to the city of Rafah. Israel said for months that all people from the north of Gaza had to go south to be safe.
Bombs on Rafah
But: the Israeli army dropped several bombs on Rafah last night. According to the AP news agency, at least 23 people were killed. The Israeli army had been threatening to attack the city for weeks. According to Israel, this is necessary to destroy Hamas completely. The last Hamas fighters are said to be hiding there.
People are stuck
Israel also used tanks to seize the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. That was an important place for aid supplies and aid workers to enter and leave Gaza. That’s almost all at a standstill now. The people in Rafah are now trapped. They already live in poor conditions, because there is too little food, drink and medical care. These people have already fled once and have nowhere to go.
Ceasefire negotiations continue
Meanwhile, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is still being negotiated in the Egyptian capital Cairo.