Rafah Refugee Camp

Rafah Refugee Camp is one of the largest refugee camps in the Gaza Strip in terms of population. It is located in the heart of Rafah City. The camp was established by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in 1948 to accommodate Palestinian refugees. Initially, the shelters were constructed from mud bricks and corrugated metal sheets.

The main road divides the camp into two sections: the northern section, which includes the Shaboura neighborhood, and the southern section, adjacent to the border, which includes the Yibna neighborhood.

According to UNRWA statistics, the camp's population reached approximately 49,800 residents in 1987. The total number of refugees in the wider Rafah area was estimated at around 68,000, representing approximately two-thirds of Rafah's population. The camp's residents originated primarily from Lydda, Ramle, Jaffa, and the surrounding villages. The camp's neighborhoods were named after the Palestinian villages from which their residents had been displaced. According to estimates by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the camp's population stood at approximately 43,018 refugees in mid-2023.

In 1971, the occupying authorities demolished numerous homes, opened new roads, and uprooted trees in the camp area, citing security reasons.

The refugees originated from various Palestinian towns and villages, including:

• Beersheba, whose residents were expelled following an attack on October 20, 1948.

• Hamama

• Al-Khalasa

• Al-Amara

• Wadi al-Hafir

• Al-Ramala

• Qaa al-Qadar

• Khirbet Abu Muallaq

• Karnab

• Futeis

Statements on the Situation in Gaza

It is widely assumed in Israel that Hezbollah has not yet decided whether to join the conflict.

Hezbollah and Iran generally make their decisions cautiously and deliberately. Hezbollah and Iran will wait to see how the situation in Gaza develops, and this will have an impact on the way we conduct our operations in Gaza.

I believe that the Israeli Air Force has not yet reduced Gaza to rubble because of concerns regarding the northern front and Hezbollah. Hezbollah is observing the gaps and vulnerabilities in the Israeli military, particularly its inability to mobilize the forces required across all fronts. At present, there are four divisions in the south and two in the north, making the management of a multi-front war a difficult task.

Hezbollah wants to see how events in Gaza unfold, and I believe this will have a significant impact on the decision-makers in Tel Aviv.

It is true that we were caught by surprise, but if we do not regain the initiative now, the Israeli military is not effective in defensive warfare or when it is drawn into a war. However, when it takes the initiative and catches its adversary by surprise, it achieves significant gains. In general, Israel has lost the initiative.

Israel must change the existing reality, because it cannot continue under the current circumstances, with Hezbollah threatening it from the north and Hamas in Gaza having not yet paid a price for what it has done. This is unacceptable.

Israel must regain the initiative and exercise its power because we have no other option.