An Israeli air strike on Rafah claims 14 lives, leaves many trapped under debris
In a sombre development from the southern Gaza Strip, an Israeli air strike targeted a residential area in Rafah on March 1, 2024, resulting in at least 14 fatalities, with numerous others feared buried under the wreckage. The assault, which decimated a four-story building in the Al Salam neighbourhood, is the latest in a series of escalating conflicts affecting the region.
This tragic event unfolded merely hours after another strike on displaced Palestinians’ tents in Rafah, claiming 11 lives. Among the victims of the residential building strike were at least six children, highlighting the profound human toll of the ongoing conflict.
Ahmed Radwan, a local rescue worker, shared the dire situation on the ground, noting the building housed civilians, including those displaced by the ongoing hostilities. “We managed to remove several bodies and rescue several wounded people, but many more civilians – women and children are still under the rubble,” Radwan disclosed to Al Jazeera. He underscored the desperate need for heavy rescue equipment, a resource-scarce due to the protracted conflict now entering its sixth month.
The relentless air raids extend beyond Rafah, with reports of strikes in Khan Younis and attacks on Jabalia and Nuseirat refugee camps. The exact number of casualties in these locations remains unclear, further obscuring the conflict’s human impact.
These continuous assaults are part of a broader pattern of military activity across the occupied territories, including operations in the West Bank. Such actions exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the blockade and military offensives have pushed the population to the brink of famine.
As the international community grapples with the crisis, efforts to negotiate a ceasefire continue, with a senior US official indicating a potential six-week pause in fighting. The focus now turns to Hamas, governing Gaza, to respond to the ceasefire framework, amid hopes for a halt to the violence that has deeply scarred the region.
