UN denies Israeli reports of mass exodus from Rafah after IDF withdrawal
Date
4/21/2024 5:32:29 AM
(MENAFN) Contrary to reports circulating in Israeli media, a United Nations source has refuted claims that approximately a quarter of a million individuals departed from Rafah and migrated northward following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the city of Khan Yunis. The UN source clarified that residents of Rafah frequently traverse between locations to assess the condition of their homes and belongings, often encountering devastation upon their return as their homes have been razed to the ground.
Echoing the UN's dismissal, a Palestinian spokesperson in Gaza also denied the accuracy of the media reports alleging a mass exodus from Rafah. Furthermore, the Palestinian Civil Affairs Coordination Unit of the Israeli Ministry of Defense (COGAT) opted not to provide commentary on the matter.
Initial Israeli reports suggested that a substantial number of Palestinians had vacated Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip following the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, who subsequently redeployed to the Khan Yunis area and the central region of the Strip. These reports insinuated Israel's purported intention to execute a ground invasion of Rafah.
According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, the Israeli military purportedly planned to issue announcements urging residents of Rafah to evacuate the area. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu purportedly postponed this directive at the eleventh hour, following missile and drone attacks from Iran, and in his quest to secure unequivocal support from the United States.
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