Rafah City, which is located in southern Gaza Strip, is enduring a renewed humanitarian catastrophe due to the ongoing Israeli aggression that has reduced most of its neighborhoods to rubble. This scene reflects the immense destruction inflicted on the city and its residents during the genocidal war committed by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Gaza. Despite the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on 19 January 2025, the IOF continue their military attacks, maintaining a firm grip on nearly 60% of the city, whether through the deployment of military vehicles or firepower reaching deep into the city center. The IOF’s airstrikes and shooting continue to target civilians, daily inflicting deaths and injuries.
Rafah City has become an uninhabitable city, with its infrastructure and main facilities completely destroyed, amid an almost total absence of healthcare services and sufficient humanitarian aid. Additionally, the Israeli bombings and shooting continue to target those returning to check on their homes, while survivors of the bombardment and displacement are left to face the risk of death from starvation or disease, especially after the IOF had tightened its illegal siege on the Strip and blocked the entry of humanitarian aid since 02 March.
This report documents the disastrous humanitarian situation in Rafah due to the IOF’s grave crimes and violations in the city, particularly more than 10 months after their full-scale invasion into it and nearly 17 months since the onset of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
This report on Rafah is part of a series of reports published by PCHR on Palestinian cities and refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that are facing genocide, ethnic cleansing, and settlement expansion by the IOF.
Rafah: its Area and Population
Rafah is located along the Palestinian-Egyptian borders in the southern Gaza Strip, covering an area of 63.1 km². It includes three municipalities: Rafah City Municipality, which houses Rafah Refugee Camp with its two sections (al-Shaboura and Yebna), along with 16 other neighborhoods; Al-Shawka Municipality to the east; and Al-Naser Municipality to the north. Currently, Rafah is home to approximately 290,000,1 all of whom have been forcibly displaced since May 2024 following the IOF’s ground invasion of the city, repeated evacuation orders, and seven months of genocidal war in the Gaza Strip. In addition to Rafah’s residents, hundreds of thousands already displaced from northern Gaza, Gaza City, Central Gaza Strip, and Khan Yunis were also again forcibly displaced to Rafah due to the IOF’s orders after it was designated a “safe” humanitarian zone at the onset of the genocidal war in October 2023.2
IOF’s gunfire targets returnees to their homes following the ceasefire:
Following their displacement, most of Rafah’s residents sought refuge in the Al-Mawasi area in Rafah and Khan Yunis for over eight months. After the ceasefire agreement between the Israeli Government and Hamas was declared on 19 January 2025, thousands of Rafah’s residents returned to their city. However, the IOF, which remains stationed 400–1000 meters along the Palestinian-Egyptian border and beyond it, prevented returnees from reaching their homes and opened fire on them. As a result, 10 residents, including a child, were killed on the first day of their return, while others sustained various injuries. Additionally, the Palestinian Civil Defense announced the retrieval of 79 dead bodies from various areas in Rafah on the first day of the ceasefire alone.
During the first days of the ceasefire, the IOF continued their deployment along the Palestinian-Egyptian borders and beyond, shooting, firing shells, and launching drone missiles at the residents who had returned to their homes in neighborhoods, which are over 1000 meters away from the borders. As a result, 45 Palestinians, including 7 children and a woman, have been killed. Among those killed, 11 were targeted by Israeli drones; 3 of them were police officers responsible for securing aid trucks. Also, about 150 others have sustained various injuries as of the writing of this report. Rescue teams and civil defense crews retrieved the 200 dead bodies amid reports confirming that hundreds more are still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings or in neighborhoods where the IOF are stationed. Meanwhile, the IOF continues to demolish homes in areas where they are stationed or advance into.
Furthermore, the explosion of three unexploded ordnance remnants from the genocidal war claimed the lives of four residents, including two children, in Rafah Governorate.
The maps of withdrawal from Rafah show IOF deployment at distances between 400-1100 meters, but on the ground, it is beyond.
Hanaa’ … killed inside her house’s kitchen
Hanaa’ Tawfiq Suliman Hasanin (al-Ghouti), 47, a teacher at an UNRWA school, was killed in her house in al-Edari neighborhood, about 800 meters away from the Palestinian-Egyptian borders in southern Rafah on 21 February 2025.
Hanaa’s husband, Rafat Ahmed S’oud al-Ghouti (49), a nurse at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis, said to PCHR’s researcher:
“Two weeks after the ceasefire agreement was declared, my wife, our children, and I returned to our house. During the IOF’s ground invasion into Rafah, we sought refuge at my wife’s relative’s house in al-Buriej refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. Upon our return, we cleaned the house and carried out minor and quick repairs, as it had been burned and partially destroyed. During that time, we constantly heard gunfire from Israeli tanks stationed along the borders. At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 21 February 2025, my wife suddenly fell on the ground in the kitchen on the first floor of our house. I rushed to her, but she was unconscious, showing no vital signs. I tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her, but to no avail. I immediately carried her outside and put her in my neighbor’s vehicle. We rushed her to Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis. After conducting medical examinations and X-rays, doctors revealed that she sustained a live bullet injury in her chest. The bullet had lodged in her heart, causing an internal bleeding and leading to her death.”
Mahmoud, a child killed while repairing a water tank
Mahmoud Medhat Ahmed Abu Harb (17) was killed on 02 March 2025 on the roof of his house near al-Salam Wedding Hall, south of al-Edari neighborhood in Rafah, about 700 meters from the Palestinian-Egyptian border in southern Rafah.
Mahmoud’s uncle, Mamdouh Ahmed ‘Ali Abu Harb (47), said to PCHR’s researcher:
“After the ceasefire came into effect, some of my relatives and I returned to our house. When we arrived, we found it partially destroyed, burned, and damaged by artillery shells. The young men and I spent 10 days cleaning the apartments and selecting unaffected rooms to stay in. Once the cleaning was done, all our family members returned to the building. During that period, we could hear the roar of Israeli tanks near our building, which is about 700 meters from the Palestinian-Egyptian border in southern Rafah, along with sporadic gunfire from the IOF. At around 10:30 on Sunday, 02 March 2025, my nephew, Mahmoud Medhat Ahmed Abu Harb (17), my cousin, ‘Ammar Mohammed ‘Ali Abu Harb (42), and a plumber from the al-Sodoudi family were repairing the water tanks on our building’s roof. At the time, a quadcopter drone hovering above the nearby al-Baladi playground opened fire on them. As a result, my nephew Mahmoud was shot in the abdomen and succumbed to his injury while being transferred to the UAE Field Hospital, which had been established on the al-Baladi playground near our building. Also, my cousin ‘Ammar and the plumber sustained live bullet injuries in their arms. At the same time, the Israeli tanks stationed along the Palestinian-Egyptian borders in southern Rafah opened fire near our residential building.”
Tala, a child injured by a quadcopter drone, leaving her paralyzed
Tala Hamada ‘Abed al-Fattah Abu Shawish (13) was seriously injured on 26 February 2025 after being targeted by a quadcopter drone, resulting in paralysis of the left side of her body. Tala was shot while standing in front of her house in al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah, about 1500 meters away from the Palestinian-Egyptian border in southern Rafah.
Tala’s father, Hamada ‘Abed al-Fattah ‘Abed al-Rahman Abu Shawish (41), said to PCHR’s researcher:
“After the ceasefire was declared in the Gaza Strip, I returned to my house in al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah, which is about 1500 meters from the Palestinian-Egyptian border in southern Rafah. According to the ceasefire agreement’s maps, my house is located in a safe area where residents are allowed to return to their homes. When I arrived, I found my house severely damaged. I tried to repair it as much as I could. At approximately 11:00 on Wednesday, 26 February 2025, my daughter Tala (13) was playing with other children in front of our house while I was on the roof filling the water tanks. Suddenly and without prior warning, I heard a loud explosion. Then, I heard the children screaming, followed by several less powerful explosions. Later, it turned out that quadcopter drones dropped several bombs across al-Shaboura refugee camp. I rushed to the street and found my daughter Tala lying on the ground, her face and head covered in blood. Shrapnel was scattered everywhere, and one of our neighbors was bleeding from his legs. I immediately carried my daughter and ran towards al-Sekka Street, which is 600 meters away from my house. I found an ambulance passing by and took Tala to the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis. After medical examinations, the doctors confirmed that she had sustained shrapnel injuries to her head and leg, causing severe brain bleeding and paralysis on the left side of her body. She was in critical condition and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).”
Massive destruction and absence of essential services
The ceasefire and the IOF’s partial withdrawal have revealed the staggering scale of destruction in Rafah, where residents were unable to recognize their homes, reach them, or identify the streets and public facilities. It has become clear that during their 8-month invasion of the city, the IOF deliberately destroyed and damaged everything in Rafah, with the aim of turning it into an unlivable city. According to initial estimates by the Rafah Municipality, 52,000 housing units were completely or partially destroyed.3 It is still impossible to determine the final and accurate assessment of the damage, as the IOF are still stationed in vast areas of Rafah, where destruction and bombing continue.
Four days after the ceasefire, the IOF continued their destruction operations in Rafah, as they destroyed 5 houses and the Social Development Directorate building in Tal al-Sultan and al-Saudi neighborhoods, west of Rafah city.
Osama Ahmed Ibrahim Qishta (56) said to PCHR’s researcher:
“On 19 February 2025, and for 3 consecutive days, the IOF destroyed about 20 houses in the Qishta family residential square in al-Edari neighborhood, south of Rafah. The houses of my brothers, my relatives, and I were among those destroyed. I tried to repair my house and live in it with my family of 12 members, but the IOF’s deployment in our residential area prevented me from doing so, despite the ceasefire.”
Despite the massive destruction inflicted on Rafah, about 35% of its residents returned to the city after the ceasefire and stayed in various neighborhoods, despite the lack of basic necessities and essential services, such as drinking water, sanitation, and electricity.
Many families were forced to live in their burned or partially destroyed homes, which were classified as uninhabitable. However, some families said that living in those homes was better than enduring the unbearable life in tents.
Khaled Khalil Faraj ‘Arada (41), a resident of ‘Aed al-Bashit Street in al-Edari neighborhood in Rafah, said to PCHR’s researcher that he preferred to live with 29 members of his family, including 14 children and 8 women; among them his parents, his five brothers, and their families, in their burned and partially destroyed home rather than staying in tents in al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, where they endured harsh conditions. There was no privacy in tents, in addition to the overcrowding and the spread of infectious diseases. Additionally, the tents offered no protection from the bitter winter cold and the scorching heat of summer.
Widespread destruction of infrastructure and imminent danger hindering institutional operations:
Due to the dangerous situation in Rafah, with the IOF’s ongoing gunfire and airstrikes, most international and relief organizations have ceased their operations in the area. Dr. Ahmed al-Sofi, Mayor of Rafah Municipality, told PCHR’s researcher that international and relief organizations are no longer working in Rafah or providing services to its residents due to the severe security risks and the lack of protection for their staff. The IOF maintains control over nearly 60% of the city, either through the military deployment along the Palestinian-Egyptian borders or firepower. He added that the destruction in the governorate exceeds 60% affecting homes, institutions, infrastructure, public facilities, mosques, and streets, with five neighborhoods and the camp completely destroyed. In other neighborhoods, the destruction ranges from 40% to 80%.
Rafah’s three municipalities, along with Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, are attempting to provide essential services for the residents, but they face incredible challenges. The IOF has completely destroyed, damaged, and bombed the city’s infrastructure, including water and sewage networks, electricity, and internet. The electricity, landline telephone and internet networks, 70% of the water networks, 3 main water tanks, and 17 water wells have been completely destroyed.4 The residents face extreme difficulty in obtaining water, having to transport it to their homes using buckets or jerrycans through vehicles carrying water tanks. Additionally, the price of a cup of water has risen to around 80 shekels (1 USD = 3.64 shekels), which is unaffordable for the residents. Moreover, 70% of sewage networks and pumps have been destroyed, and the technical teams are unable to access them for repairs. The rainwater collection basin in the al-Janina neighborhood is full and could flood the nearby homes with sewage water due to the pump being non-operational.
After the IOF destroyed Rafah’s Central Market, Rafah Municipality set up an alternative market for vegetables, fruits, and foodstuffs stalls in northern al-Shaboura refugee camp. Additionally, several vendors set up stalls on most of the main streets and sub-roads for selling and shopping.
Moreover, the IOF destroyed 15 main bakeries that were operating before the forced displacement from Rafah in May 2024. After the ceasefire, 3 small bakeries reopened, but at limited capacity; however, 2 of them were closed a few days ago due to running out of fuel, following the IOF’s decision to block the entry of fuel and aid in early March. The third bakery is also at risk of closing. Recently, residents have been forced to stand in long queues to get bread or bake on traditional wood-fired clay ovens.
Ahmed al-Ma’shar, the owner of al-Ma’shar Bakery, told PCHR’s researcher that during their ground invasion into Rafah, the IOF destroyed his bakery in al-Jinanah neighborhood. After the ceasefire in January 2025, he returned to Rafah and opened another traditional bakery in Kherbet al-‘Adas neighborhood in February 2025. However, the bakery operated for only 22 days and then shut down on Thursday, 08 March, due to a shortage of cooking gas, as the IOF had closed Karem Shalom Crossing and blocked the entry of fuel and cooking gas.
Furthermore, the blocking of fuel and gas supplies, with stocks almost depleted, has inflicted additional catastrophic consequences on the already difficult aspects of life, such as access to water, reopening streets, transportation, and electricity charging points.
Temporary shelter camps:
Regarding shelter for people whose homes had been destroyed or who cannot reach their houses, Rafah’s municipality designated about 600 dunums, most of which are state-owned lands, in northern Rafah to establish 47 camps with the help of donors and charitable organizations. These camps are intended to shelter 5,940 families. Currently, only 15 camps have been established, housing 720 families. The number of residents whose homes were destroyed is approximately 180,000, representing 36,000 families, many of whom are still staying in al-Mawasi area in Rafah and Khan Yunis.
Among the new established camps is al-‘Awda camp in Kherbet al-‘Adas neighborhood in Rafah. Suhail ‘Abed al-Rahman Hasan al-Kurdi (53), the founder of al-‘Awda camp, told PCHR’s researcher that with the help of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), he established al-‘Awda camp in Kherbet al-‘Adas neighborhood. Thirty-five tents were set up for residents of al-Janina neighborhood after the IOF destroyed their homes. Currently, 15 families are living in the camp, enduring the hardship of obtaining water and accessing the sewage network. He added that he initiated the idea of establishing the camp after returning to his home in al-Tanour neighborhood in Rafah following the ceasefire on 19 January 2025, only to find it reduced to rubble.
Moreover, the Public Service Association established a camp in al-Brazil neighborhood for its residents after obtaining a plot of land from the Rafah Municipality in the northern the city. Ashraf Sa’eed Ahmed Qishtah (46), one of the camp’s organizers, stated that the camp was set up following the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza on 19 January 2025, as Rafah’s residents were unable to return to their homes due to the massive destruction in the city and most of its neighborhoods were considered red or dangerous zones under Israeli control. Currently, 170 families are living in the camp, including 172 children and 50 elderly people who require special care. International organizations have provided tents and other services to the camp. The number of families in the camp is expected to reach about 270. The displaced people in the camp are facing significant challenges, including the lack of household water, clean drinking water, and waste disposal.
Healthcare Situation:
Rafah’s healthcare situation is catastrophe due to the almost-complete lack of healthcare services after about 100,000 out of 290,000 residents, who were forcibly displaced from the city 8 months agon, returned to their homes, according to estimates from local and relief organizations. Only four healthcare centers have been reopened: Al-Naser UNRWA Health Center in Al-Naser village, north of Rafah; Al-Shaboura Health Center run by the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH), in northern Al-Shaboura refugee camp; and two other centers in Kherbet Al-‘Adas neighborhood—one operated by the Near East Council of Churches (N.E.C.C.) and the other by Médecins du Monde/France. These centers provide only basic healthcare services, primarily distributing limited quantities of medications, especially for chronic illnesses. The Emirati Red Crescent Field Hospital continued to operate partially but is currently inaccessible due to its location in areas where the IOF have advanced, south of al-Edari neighborhood. Additionally, the International Committee of the Red Cross Hospital is operating in al-Mawasi area in western Rafah. However, most patients or those injured by Israeli airstrikes in Rafah are transferred to Nasser Medical Complex or the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis.
Dr. Marwan al-Hams, Director of the MOH’s field hospitals and Abu Yousef al-Najjar Governmental Hospital in Rafah, told PCHR’s researcher that Rafah is devastated in all aspects, especially in the health sector, after the IOF burned and partially or completely destroyed all hospitals and governmental, non-governmental, and UNRWA health centers, including field hospitals, during their prolonged ground invasion of the city.
These included three hospitals: two governmental hospitals—Abu Yousef al-Najjar, a main hospital almost completely destroyed, and the Emirati Red Crescent maternity hospital in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, where the operating rooms and most of its facilities were burned—as well as Kuwaiti Specialized Hospital, which was completely destroyed. Additionally, four UNRWA health centers, three primary healthcare centers run by the MOH, al-‘Awda Health Center, and two field hospitals—the Indonesian and Marwani hospitals—were destroyed. Moreover, the International Medical Corps (IMC)/ American Hospital was forced to relocate its field hospital from al-Mawasi in Rafah to Deir al-Balah during the ground invasion.
Dr. Marwan added that the healthcare system has completely collapsed and that the Palestinian MOH and other institutions providing healthcare services to Rafah’s residents are currently unable to operate. This is due to the dangerous security situation in the city and the inability to access hospitals and health centers to rehabilitate, restore, or reoperate them, as they are located in areas where the IOF are still stationed and advance into.5
Conclusion and Recommendations:
The widescale destruction, forced displacement, and systematic targeting of civilians in Rafah City, despite the announcement of a ceasefire, is further evidence that what is happening in the Gaza Strip is a full-fledged crime of genocide.
In this context, lawyer Raji Sourani, PCHR’s Director, says: “Genocide is not merely a single strike carried out in a moment; rather, it is a complex process consisting of a series of crimes. This is the nature and essence of the crime of genocide.”
He adds that the ongoing tragic situation, including killing, destruction, displacement, and starvation, under the current circumstances renders Palestinian cities and neighborhoods uninhabitable, which fulfills the objectives of the crime of genocide. Therefore, a ceasefire does not mean the end of the risk of this crime or the cessation of the accompanying crimes.
In light of this catastrophic reality, the international community, the United Nations (UN), and the State Parties to the Genocide Convention must take immediate action to end these crimes and hold its perpetrators accountable. The continued international silence and failure to take decisive action make the active states complicit in these grave violations, either through direct support for the IOF or by turning a blind eye to the ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people.
In light of the above, PCHR calls on the international community to bear its legal and moral responsibilities, exert immediate pressure to stop all military attacks in Rafah and across the Gaza Strip, ensure the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid, provide protection for civilians, and secure adequate temporary shelters until reconstruction take places.
PCHR reiterates the need to work on ending the Israeli occupation, as it is the root cause of the repeated and renewed Nakba endured by the Palestinian people.
