Ramallah [Palestine], March 20: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Israel began its aggression on Rafah without announcing the move to avoid international reactions.
In a statement, the ministry condemned the escalating bombardment and systematic destruction carried out by the Israeli forces in Rafah, saying that by carrying out these attacks, Israel is purposely ignoring international warnings about the danger of invading the city.
The population of Rafah has swelled to about 1.5 million, which includes hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the centre and northern areas of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli attacks on residential buildings in the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital have resulted in further killings and injuries, Al Jazeera's Anas al-Sharif reports. One building on Jalaa Street was reduced to rubble, with Israeli jets and drones hovering overhead. One of the victims killed as a result of the air strikes was a young girl.
Residents and neighbours used their bare hands to try and pull out the victims from under the rubble.
"For God's sake, I have nowhere to go. all my family were killed," a young boy is heard crying. "I have nowhere to go, for God's sake." Al-Shifa Hospital and the surrounding area remain besieged by Israeli forces, resulting in a complete lack of medical assistance or activity from civil defence teams, as no ambulance or rescue teams are able to reach the area.
Source: Qatar Tribune