Eyes on Rafah

All Eyes on Rafah

Eyes on Rafah is a humanitarian organization dedicated to providing aid and support to the people of Rafah, a city located in the southern Gaza Strip.

The organization's mission is to address the urgent needs of the community, including access to clean water, healthcare, education, and food security. Eyes on Rafah works closely with local partners and volunteers to deliver essential services and resources to those in need, and to advocate for the rights and well-being of the people of Rafah. Through fundraising efforts and partnerships with other humanitarian organizations, Eyes on Rafah is able to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the residents of Rafah, who have been affected by ongoing conflicts and political instability in the region. 

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The organization also seeks to raise wareness about the challenges facing the people of Rafah and to mobilize support from the international community to address these issues. With a commitment to transparency and accountability, Eyes on Rafah strives to ensure that all donations and resources are used effectively and efficiently to benefit the people of Rafah. By keeping a close watch on the situation in Rafah and working tirelessly to provide assistance, Eyes on Rafah aims to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of the community members, and to help build a more hopeful and sustainable future for Rafah.

Why take Rafah now?

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Monday that Israel had no alternative but to proceed with the invasion of Rafah. The previous day, during the final negotiations in Cairo aimed at securing the release of the 132 Israeli hostages in Gaza, Hamas dismissed a proposal that omitted their primary demand: a permanent ceasefire. On Sunday, the group launched an assault on a military outpost near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, resulting in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers. Concurrently, Israel shut down the Jerusalem office of the Al Jazeera network.

The New York Times reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu's determination to invade Rafah caused Hamas to adopt a more rigid position. Late Monday, Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh announced the acceptance of a ceasefire proposal, which Israel agreed to consider. However, Netanyahu soon declared the continuation of the Rafah offensive, and by Tuesday, Israeli tanks had arrived at the city's border crossing with Egypt. Netanyahu maintains that Rafah is Hamas's stronghold and the location of the remaining Israeli hostages, whether alive or deceased. He faced threats from his far-right coalition partners to withdraw their support should he fail to invade the Palestinian city.

What consequences could this invasion have?

In the Rafah Governorate, which had a population of approximately 220,000 before the war commenced on October 7, now 1.5 million Palestinians are squeezed into an area of 25 square miles. Eighty percent of them reside in tents or makeshift plastic shelters, with scarce access to food, potable water, sanitation, or medical services. On May 3, Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), issued a warning: "The hundreds of thousands of people present there would face an imminent risk of death in the event of an assault on Rafah." He also stated that such an attack would deal "an incredible blow to the humanitarian efforts across the entire strip, as they are largely based out of Rafah." The World Health Organization has cautioned that an operation of this nature could result in a "bloodbath" and further cripple "an already broken health system." In southern Gaza, among the seven hospitals that are partially operational, three are located in Rafah. Historically, the bulk of humanitarian aid trucks for Gaza have passed through the border crossings at Rafah and Kerem Shalom, both of which are currently shut down.

Are there safe areas for displaced people in Gaza?

The designated safe zones to which Israel has directed the displaced individuals from Rafah include Al-Mawasi—a coastal strip seven miles in length and less than a mile wide, already deficient in services prior to the conflict—and Khan Yunis, a city nearly in ruins. This area has been termed the "expanded humanitarian zone." Despite being marked as a sanctuary, Al-Mawasi experienced an incursion by the Israeli military on January 22. Rafah, too, has been labeled a "safe zone," yet it has endured near-daily bombardment. Forensic Architecture, a research group affiliated with Goldsmiths, University of London, has criticized these "safe zones" in Gaza for their inadequate infrastructure to accommodate, nourish, and provide medical care for the civilians. Moreover, the investigation claims that Israel's proclaimed "humanitarian policies" in Gaza are being used as instruments of mass displacement, driving civilians into uninhabitable regions that subsequently become targets, thereby intensifying Israel's campaign against the Palestinian populace.

Are mass population displacements legal?

According to the U.N., Israel is considered the occupying power in Gaza. The Geneva Convention dictates that "individual or mass forcible transfers" are not allowed, irrespective of their motive. Furthermore, it mandates that in the rare exceptions to this rule, the occupying power is obliged to "ensure, to the greatest extent feasible, that adequate accommodation is provided to house the protected persons, that relocations are carried out under satisfactory conditions of hygiene, health, safety, and nutrition, and that family members are not separated."

What have been the reactions to the Rafah evacuation order?

U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed his stance on the Rafah offensive during a call with Netanyahu on Monday, stating that while Washington does not oppose the invasion, it insists that Israel must have a "credible" plan to safeguard civilians. The EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, has called for action to halt what he deems an "unacceptable" invasion. Meanwhile, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric echoed the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)'s previous statements, asserting the agency's refusal to partake in any large-scale, forced displacement of people. Additionally, Saudi Arabia, a major Sunni regional power that had been in talks with Israel for diplomatic relations prior to the conflict, has issued a severe rebuke of the invasion, labeling the Israeli offensive as "genocide," a term it has not used since the war began.