Ahmed al-Soufi, the head of Rafah municipality, reported on Wednesday that the number of displaced people arriving in the Rafah Crossing in the southernmost part of the enclave stood at about 1 million since the start of the Israeli military response on October 7.
The total number of people present in the city of Rafah at the moment is not less than 1.3 million, with the city’s population being around 300,000.
According to him, the number of refugees in shelters belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is about 713,000, including those displaced outside the centres but registered with the UN agency.
The influx of residents from the centre and Khan Younis continues despite army warnings for immediate evacuation. Although the Israeli army classifies areas in the southern Gaza Strip, including Rafah, as “safe” zones, these areas have witnessed intense aerial attacks, resulting in deaths and injuries.
