Israel’s war on Gaza live: Clashes rage in southern Gaza’s Rafah
The Israeli military confirmed the deaths of eight of its soldiers in a blast in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, after Hamas’s armed wing announced that it carried out an ambush on Israeli forces in the city’s Saudi neighbourhood.
At least 28 killed, dozens wounded in Israeli bombing of three homes in Gaza City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are unable to celebrate the Muslim holy festival of Eid al-Adha as they once did because of economic hardship, severe attacks in the Gaza Strip and unlawful actions in the West Bank.
In the lead-up to Eid al-Adha, Israel froze work permits for 80,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Before the conflict, more than 170,000 Palestinians worked in Israel, a crucial income source for the Palestinian economy.
Ahead of Eid al-Adha, Palestinian traders in livestock markets spoke of extremely weak demand while residents expressed sorrow.
“We have no joy left. There is mourning in every home. Dozens of people are killed every day. Our situation is worse than the Nakba in 1948,” said Nadir Abu Arab.
Osama Abbud, who owns a clothing store in Ramallah, said sales have decreased by more than 70 percent compared with last year, and despite discounts, demand is very low.
“This is the second Eid under the shadow of war. We have no joy left. Very few people are shopping for Eid and buying new clothes due to war, destruction, mourning and the increasingly worsening economic situation,” he said.
What we’re seeing in Rafah is part of a long, systematic strategy by the Israeli military since day one of this war.
The deliberate and intentional destruction of all means of life, including public facilities, infrastructure, as well as residential homes, turned entire residential blocks and homes and areas into piles of rubble across the Gaza Strip.
Just a cursory look at what’s going on feeds into one conclusion: Israel and its military, an occupying force on the ground, are doing whatever in their power to make Gaza uninhabitable, and that includes the deliberate destruction of residential homes.
Don’t forget that people here, the one thing that they have right now … is the hope of going back to their homes.
But with the ongoing systematic demolition of their homes either in the northern part of Gaza City, the central areas and right now what we’re seeing in Tal as-Sultan in Rafah City, hundreds upon hundreds of homes are being demolished.
A view of destroyed residential area following the Israeli attacks as Palestinians try to spend their daily lives in Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 14
A view of destroyed residential area following the Israeli attacks as Palestinians try to spend their daily lives in Khan Younis, Friday [Abed Rahim
Is Israel on a collision course with geography, international politics and the law?
Al Jazeera’s Pinch Point unpacks the narrative war on Israel’s military operation on Rafah. smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc
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