When Israel launched its military response to the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, it told Palestinians in the north of Gaza to evacuate and head south for safety. When the Israeli military operation moved to central Gaza, again Palestinians were ordered south. Today, more than five months into the conflict, many have gone as far as they can go — effectively trapped in Rafah governorate, the southernmost part of Gaza.
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No matter which direction you now turn in Rafah, the people sheltering there are hemmed in. To the north, they're blocked by sustained fighting in Khan Younis, about 6 miles away. On two other sides, they're cut off by Gaza's borders with Israel and Egypt, and on a third there's the Mediterranean Sea.
