IN PHOTOS | The growing humanitarian crisis in southern Gaza
CBC News | Posted: October 17, 2023 5:48 PM | Last Updated: October 17, 2023
WARNING: This story contains graphic images of death
Image | 1729110633
Caption: Volunteers and staff of non-governmental organizations flash peace signs on the Egypt side of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza on Tuesday. (Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)
Israel ordered more than one million people — half the population — to leave northern Gaza within 24 hours on Friday, ahead of an anticipated ground invasion. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled south, including thousands to Rafah, which has the territory's only border crossing to Egypt.
Here's a look at the growing humanitarian crisis at the crossing and Rafah itself, after Israel cut food, fuel and electricity supplies to Gaza and blocked aid from entering.
On Egypt side of Rafah border crossing
Egypt is still negotiating with Israel on the delivery of humanitarian assistance and fuel to Gaza from Rafah and the Kerem Shalom checkpoint, a senior Egyptian official said Tuesday, as trucks loaded with aid wait for permission to cross into the besieged territory.
Image | Egypt Israel Palestinians
Caption: A humanitarian aid convoy for the Gaza Strip is parked at the Rafah border crossing on the Egypt side on Tuesday. The aid convoy, organized by a group of Egyptians, set off on Saturday from Cairo for the Rafah crossing. (Omar Aziz/The Associated Press)
Image | 1729139256
Caption: Aid convoy trucks wait at the Rafah border crossing, on the Egypt side. (Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)
Image | 1727831167
Caption: Crates of aid supplies are seen on Monday in North Sinai, Egypt. (Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)
Image | ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/
Caption: UN-flagged fuel trucks move towards the border crossing, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
On Gaza side of border crossing
Image | Israel Palestinians
Caption: People wait to cross into Egypt at the Rafah border crossing on Monday. (Fatima Shbair/The Associated Press)
Image | Israel Palestinians
Caption: Families in cars wait to cross into Egypt at the Rafah border crossing. (Fatima Shbair/The Associated Press)
Image | Israel Palestinians
Caption: People arrive at the Rafah border crossing on Saturday. (Hatem Ali/The Associated Press)
Image | Rafah border crossing
Caption: This satellite image shows crowds of people and vehicles waiting to leave from the Gaza side of the border with Egypt on Monday. (Maxar Technologies)
Airstrikes in southern Gaza
Early on Tuesday, people described intense bombardments in Rafah and Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, with dozens reported killed.
Israel has carried out unrelenting airstrikes against Hamas-ruled Gaza since the militant attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
The Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,778 people and wounded 9,700 others in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry there.
WARNING | The following contains graphic images of death:
Image | Israel Palestinians
Caption: Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on Tuesday. (Hatem Ali/The Associated Press)
Image | Israel Palestinians
Caption: People try to escape the bombardment in Rafah. (Hatem Ali/The Associated Press)
Image | ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/
Caption: Palestinians carry a person killed by the airstrike in Rafah. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
Image | ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/
Caption: A man reacts next to the body of a woman killed in Rafah. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
More Stories Like This
The related links below are generated automatically based on the story you’ve just read.