Palestinian Civilians Flee Rafah Due to Israeli Military Operation

Palestinian civilians continue to flee the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and seek shelter in Deir el-Balah in the central part of the Palestinian territory amid the ongoing Israeli military assault on the overpopulated city.

On Friday, the Jewish state announced the expansion of the operation in Rafah, where more than one million Palestinian refugees are sheltering after being displaced from other parts of the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media reports.

The Israeli operation in Rafah has faced strong global criticism, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning that Israel's military assault on Rafah would lead to an "unthinkable escalation" of the conflict and result in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians.

Nearly 35,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.

As the operation in Rafah continues, Sputnik Africa has compiled a photo gallery of the situation that faces displaced Palestinians in Rafah.

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Palestinian who fled Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip ride with their belongings in the back of a truck, as they arrive to take shelter in Deir el-Balah in the central part of the Palestinian territory on May 12, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group.

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Tents are set up along the beach in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip by Palestinians who fled Rafah in the southern part of the Palestinian territory on May 12, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group.

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A woman reacts as she wait with others before evacuating from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 11, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas.

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Palestinians load water containers on the back of a truck as people flee Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to a safer location on May 11, 2023, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Israeli strikes hit Gaza on May 11 after renewed US criticism over its conduct of the war and a UN warning of "epic" disaster if an outright invasion of crowded Rafah city occurs.

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Palestinian transport their belongings as they flee Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip toward a safer area on May 12, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group.

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A woman and boy walk with belongings past barbed-wire fences as they flee from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 11, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas.

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Tents are set up along a street in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip by Palestinians who fled Rafah in the southern part of the Palestinian territory on May 12, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group.

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Palestinian who fled Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip ride with their belongings in the back of a truck, as they arrive to take shelter in Deir el-Balah in the central part of the Palestinian territory on May 12, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group.

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Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip arrive at a makeshift tent camp west of Rafah, Gaza, Friday, May 10, 2024.

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Displaced Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. The Israeli army has ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate Rafah as it conducts a ground operation there.

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Displaced Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, May 7, 2024. The Israeli army has ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate Rafah as it conducts a ground operation there.