Israel and Egypt train, tighten aid routes to Gaza

While aid deliveries increased in April and the first days of May, before the Rafah operation, humanitarian groups said Israel was not allowing enough entry into Gaza to avoid famine or death. collapse of health and sanitation systems. Now that tens of thousands more civilians are fleeing Rafah to areas with limited infrastructure to care for them, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations say the situation has become far more dire.

On Friday, UNRWA reported that around 110,000 people had fled Rafah this week amid intensifying Israeli airstrikes and growing fears of a major military invasion.

One of those who fled was Saeda al-Nemnem, 42, who gave birth to twins less than a month ago. Members of his family, displaced from Gaza City, sent a relative to find a truck that could take them north.

But his relative, Mohammed al-Jojo, never returned. He was killed by an Israeli strike on the tractor he was driving, Ms. al-Nemnem said. He “was killed while he was taking us out of that area to a safer place,” she said. “I feel like I caused his death.”

Despite the dangers on the road, she and her family of eight made it to the southern city of Khan Younis, where they found shelter in a room adjoining the main building of Al Aqsa University. There, they could hear what appeared to be explosions from Israeli bombs, missiles and artillery, she said.

“My children’s heartbeats were so high I could feel them,” she said. It was the most violent bombing she had ever heard, she said, “so close and so terrifying for me and my children.”

Manal al-Wakeel, 48, who had helped humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen prepare hot meals, said she and her family had taken refuge in a part of Rafah that had been hit by airstrikes and Israeli ground combat.

On Tuesday evening, Ms. al-Wakeel said she, her husband, their 11 children and other family members found a truck that would take them and their belongings, including suitcases containing clothes, pots, pans and tents, for 2,500 shekels – about $670 – looking for somewhere else to stay.