Rafah on the edge

As Israel threatened a ground operation in Gaza's southernmost city, panic and despair set in among a population with nowhere to left to turn

- Ruth Michaelson

Panic and despair spread across Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah after a night of intense bombardment where more than 1 million P people at least half of the territory's population - fled seeking shelter but now fear an Israeli ground assault.

"Last night was the heaviest night that we witnessed since we fled to Rafah. It reminded us of what we endured in the northern parts of Gaza, in Gaza City and again in Khan Younis," said Yousef Hammash of the Norwegian Refugee Council, sheltering in Rafah with his family.

He described how he feared even looking out of the window during a night of fierce attacks across Rafah that killed at least 67 people according to health authorities and as many as 100 people according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The strikes - launched by Israel while rescuing two hostages held by Hamas - were so intense, he said, that he believed that an Israeli ground operation had already begun.

At least half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million is crammed into Rafah, a city that previously housed a fraction of that amount. Some have found dwindling space in houses, hospitals or other buildings, while others huddle in makeshift shelters and tents and thousands sleep on the streets.

"People were forced to flee from other parts of Gaza, and they came here to have a sense of safety, which we lost since the Israeli media and [prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu started talking about expanding the Israeli military operation in Rafah," Hammash said.