The first Palestinian citizens to return to the town of Khan Younis after Israeli troops withdrew over the weekend found a scene of near-total destruction, with entire neighborhoods leveled, buildings reduced to piles of rubble and piles of rubble in the streets. “There’s nothing left,” one witness said.
Nearly four months of fighting have left one of Gaza’s most populous cities “completely unrecognizable,” Dr. Ahmad al-Farra, who fled the city with his family in January, told the New York Times. “When I saw my house, I completely broke down and lost consciousness. I worked for twenty years to build it, stone by stone. Now all she had to do was press a button and she was reduced to rubble.”
Nima Abu Azum has spent the last few months in the Rafah refugee camp. Once Israeli troops announced their withdrawal, he walked about 10 kilometers to Khan Yunis to return to his home, but found only a pile of ruins. The nephews who arrived earlier found the body of their brother under the rubble, who refused to leave the house. “There is nothing left of our area,” he told Reuters.
The Israeli 98th Division, which entered the city in December, announced on Sunday it was withdrawing to regroup and prepare an offensive on Rafah, the last refuge for more than a million Palestinian refugees. Despite international pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured this Monday that the operation will continue and “a date has already been determined” for its start, but refused to reveal details.
DETAILS
Deadlock in Cairo
Hamas says there has been no progress in Cairo ceasefire talks, despite optimism from Egyptian mediators. Weapon sales
Nicaragua has asked the International Court of Justice to ban Germany from selling weapons to Israel due to the risk of genocide.
Deadlock in Cairo
Hamas says there has been no progress in Cairo ceasefire talks, despite optimism from Egyptian mediators. Weapon sales
Nicaragua has asked the International Court of Justice to ban Germany from selling weapons to Israel due to the risk of genocide.
Author: Ricardo Ramos
Source: CM Jornal
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