Rafah Mayor: Israeli Troops Destroyed 2000 Houses and Displaced 30000 Inhabitants
RAFAH, Palestine -Said Zu’rob, mayor of Rafah municipality, revealed that the Israeli occupying forces had completely
destroyed 1500 houses and partially damaged 500 others in Rafah city, south of Gaza Strip, within the last 38 months of
Al Aqsa Intifada.
Mr. Zugrob briefed the Al Sharq Al Awsat newspaper that hundreds of the Palestinian houses are not yet fit to be
inhabited due to frequently liable to come under the indiscriminate shootings by the Israeli troops.
The houses demolition made around 30,000 people homeless. At present, the displaced people are sheltered inside tents,
playgrounds and schools, Zu’rob was quoted as saying.
Zu’rob emphasized that the assistance being provided by the Palestinian National Authority, UNRWA, donors and
humanitarian organizations are insufficient to wipe problem away.
All the forms of assistance are either contribution in kind or temporary lodges, instead, new houses should be built for
the homeless people, he confirmed.
Refuting the Israeli false allegations that destruction comes as a retaliation to smuggling tunnels, linking Gaza strip
and Egypt, beneath such houses, Zu’rob made clear that he had no proofs of availability of such tunnels, but he
vehemently refused that they were the reason beyond such wide destruction.
So far, the destruction has been wrecked in an area is so remote of the borderline with Egypt, for example, Morag area,
he made clear.
Mayor of Rafah confirmed that the real goal of destroying the houses is potentially to build a security fence inside the
city regardless to the displacement of hundreds of the Palestinian families.
Also, he was stunned at the Israeli occupation leveling and uprooting of thousands of the fruitful trees under the
pretext of shutting down the tunnels.
Zu’rob stressed hat what is going on in Rafah requires the whole world to move immediately to eliminate the entire
Israeli occupation.
Israeli practices inside the city really reflect Israel’s disregard of all political accords it signed with the
Palestinians, and unwillingness to realize equitable peace, Zu’rob indicated.