The most moral army in the world is creating a humanitarian city
You have to be cruel to be kind. That'll be it.Israel clearing new section of Rafahpublished at 14:07 7 July14:07 7 JulyBenedict GarmanBBC Verify senior journalistDemolition work is under way in one of the few areas in Rafah, southern Gaza, where most buildings were still standing.Satellite imagery reveals that dozens of buildings in the Saudi neighbourhood, a residential area in the city’s northwest, have been destroyed in recent days.Below is a side-by-side comparison of satellite pictures. The one on the right was taken on Saturday, with the left taken one month ago. The latest image shows rubble and dust where buildings once stood - highlighted by the white boxes.[Satellite image captured on 5 June compared to 5 July showing RafahImage source,Planet Labs PBC]These are likely to be demolitions rather than air strikes because this is an area held by the IDF for some time and in other areas where they have operational control there have frequently been videos showing controlled detonations.The pace and comprehensive nature of the destruction, as well as local, external reports, external of buildings in the neighbourhood being blown up tallies with this.The neighbourhood was built by the Saudi Rehousing Project - a partnership between the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) and Saudi Arabia. The project's aim was to provide houses for people displaced as a result of previous conflict with Israel.It was only opened in 2015, external, and was home to around 10,000 people.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c98wejpp89pt?post=asset%3Ae370bb65-510e-4b45-b67d-0a7470534d18#postAnd today:-Israel’s Katz outlines plans for 'humanitarian city' on ruins of Rafahpublished at 10:2610:26Benedict GarmanBBC Verify senior journalistSatellite imagery showing how whole areas of Rafah has been demolishedImage source,Planet LabsIsrael's defence minister Israel Katz has described a plan he says is under way to establish a new 'humanitarian city' on the ruins of Rafah in the south of Gaza.The plan initially aims to accommodate 600,000 displaced Palestinians who are currently living in the al-Mawasi area on the Gazan coast. This is where Israeli forces have told people to go for “safety” throughout the war - though it has also been targeted by strikes more than 100 times.At least four more aid distribution sites - like the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation facilities already in operation - would be built under the Katz plan. We have already identified one new aid site under construction and can see that it has developed further in recent satellite imagery.Katz said development of this zone would happen during any potential ceasefire, assuming the current indirect ceasefire negotiations are successful. The ultimate aim would be to eventually move the entire Gazan population into the “city”.Satellite imagery, like the image above, captured on 4 July by Planet Labs, shows Rafah has been almost entirely reduced to rubble. Yesterday we reported on demolitions taking place in one of the last areas still standing.Demolitions continue elsewhere in Rafah too, with drone footage, external published on Sunday - we’ve screen-grabbed a key frame below - showing a building named as al-Shawka Girls' Secondary School in online maps being blown up in a controlled explosion.Screen grab of drone footage showing a building marked as girls' school on satellite mapping being demolishedImage source,Xhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c75rvk9pqn0tAnd the girls' school:-https://x.com/YinonMagal/status/1941831414019711113
David Ainsworth ● 16d1 Comments