Hundreds of thousands of people have been driven into Rafah, seeking shelter in a sprawling makeshift encampment near the Egyptian border. "(Then) they told us to go to Rafah, so we went to Rafah. Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have also urged Israel not to launch a ground offensive in the city. Dozens of the estimated 250 hostages seized during the attack were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during a week-long truce in November. The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported that thousands of people who had sought refuge in the complex, including patients, have been made to leave in recent days.

Source: The Hindu February 16, 2024 16:46 UTC