Short of options, Gazans try to flee Rafah ahead of Israeli operation

Gazans living in the overcrowded border city of Rafah are attempting to flee ahead of an expected military operation by Israeli forces, despite uncertainty about where to go next and dwindling resources.

"We've been living in a state of terror for about a week now," Anwaar al-Rai, 48, said in an interview Tuesday. Rai, who was traveling with her husband Mahmoud al-Rai, 49, and their two daughters, said she and her husband had been reaching out to everyone they knew in the western areas of Gaza's central region, north of Khan Younis. "We urgently need a safe haven," she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called last week for a "massive operation" in Rafah, citing the need to "collapse" remaining Hamas militant units in the last remaining refuge in Gaza. Israeli strikes in the city on Monday, part of what Israel said was an operation to rescue hostages, have added to the fears in Rafah. The strikes killed at least 67 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/13/israel-rafah-operation-escape/