The mayor of Gaza’s southernmost city, Rafah, today accused the Israeli occupation army of deliberately turning the city into an unlivable area.
“The Israeli forces are demolishing, bulldozing and blowing up residential buildings, service facilities and infrastructure networks across the city,” Ahmed Al-Soufi said in a statement.
He said photos shared by Israeli soldiers “clearly show that their only goal in Rafah is sabotage.”
The mayor called Israel’s hiring of private companies to demolish buildings in Rafah and move the rubble to unidentified destinations “a precedent in its genocidal war” on Gaza.
“Hiring these companies proves the existence of a premeditated plan being implemented by the Israeli forces to force residents to leave Rafah,” he said.
Al-Soufi appealed to international and human rights organisations to intervene “to stop this criminal plan and protect what remains of the city’s buildings and facilities.”
The Israeli army captured Rafah in May, closing Gaza’s crossing to Egypt and worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the area.
READ: Israel razes Rafah homes of displaced Palestinians
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