On Monday morning, the Israeli military dropped leaflets over eastern Rafah. They warned residents that military operations were going to start there, and they needed to go to ‘safe zones’ further north. The information caused chaos, as thousands of people tried to leave.
The decision of whether to stay or go is a complicated one.
“There is no safe area in the Gaza Strip,” journalist Nedal Samir Hamdouna tells Michael Safi. He’s living with his family in a tent in Rafah.
Garam, 16, based in the eastern area of the city, explains how expensive it is to leave. It’s a difficult call if you don’t know whether Israeli forces will invade and you need money for food.
In this episode, we follow Nedal and Garam as they navigate the confusion of this week and decide whether to stay in Rafah or risk leaving, and entering areas that have been destroyed.
Reporter Ruth Michaelson explains why Israel is targeting Rafah, and what the reaction has been from Israel’s allies.
Photograph: Aaed Baker/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
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