Israel destroyed dozens of houses in Rafah, southern Gaza, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, analysis of satellite images led by the Tel Aviv Tribune fact verification agency, Sanad, revealed.
The crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Rafah, which served as a critical rescue buoy in the enclave for decades, was closed by Israel in May 2024.
Since taking control of the border area, in violation of its 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel has dug in the Philadelphi corridor, a 14 km (8.7 miles) field along the border between Egypt and Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the importance of staying in the corridor, despite illegality.
According to Sanad, the images, taken between January 19 and 21, show the Israeli army for having built sand fortifications through the crossing of Rafah.
In addition, said the agency, a new military outpost was created just north of the crossing.
The army also built a 1.7 km (1.1 mile) road surrounding the crossing, in parallel with sand fortifications.
Israeli forces have also maintained thousands of residents of Rafah from their home, Israeli military vehicles pulling dozens of people trying to go home, injured and kill them.
Israel, in essence, built “a buffer zone that allows you to repel any type of fighter or, in technical terms, any hostile in an otherwise friendly environment of you,” said Hamze Attar, Palestinian Defense Analyst.
As part of the ceasefire, which started on January 19, Israel agreed to reduce its forces in the region before completely withdrawing its troops by the 50th day of the agreement.
However, the analysis carried out on the satellite images taken between January 19 and February 1 shows that the Israeli army continued construction in the region, demolishing and bulldozer 64 buildings in the city of Rafah, in particular in the AS districts -Salam, Idari and Tel Zaarab.
Demolitions occurred only 700 meters (766 yards) from the Egyptian border. At the same time, Sanad also identified at least six shaved houses in Tal As-Sultan, west of Rafah, just over 750 meters (820 meters) from the Egyptian border.
“This is a war crime because they destroy residential houses,” said Attar, referring to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the destruction of private property.
Meanwhile, Mnir Al-Bursh, Managing Director of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said on Tuesday that Israeli attacks, unplodced ammunition or fatal injuries suffered earlier had killed 118 people since the ceasefire agreement The fever has taken effect.
In addition to the military violations of the ceasefire, Israel has not authorized sufficient amounts of essential humanitarian aid, such as food, fuel, tents and emergency shelters.
The mayor of Rafah, Ahmed Al-Sufi, said that most of the city residents remain displaced, with around 200,000 people who are restarting themselves in the Al-Mawasi Khan Younis region and other places across Gaza, incapable to go home.
According to him, the initial estimates indicate that 90% of Rafah houses were damaged, around 52,000 units suffering from various degrees of destruction.
