Israeli army destruction in Rafah turns city uninhabitable since October 2023

Gaza authorities say 90 percent of Rafah’s homes, infrastructure, and services have been wiped out.

Palestinians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, navigate daily life amid the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli attacks on February 10, 2025. Photo by Mahmoud Bassam/Anadolu

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

The Israeli army destruction in Rafah has made the southern Gaza city nearly uninhabitable, according to local authorities. Since October 2023, the bombardments have leveled 90 percent of Rafah’s residential areas, turning what was once a densely populated refuge into a sprawling graveyard of broken homes and shattered infrastructure.

This devastating report came from the Gaza government media office on Sunday, April 6, and paints a dire picture of the situation on the ground. Rafah, home to over 300,000 people and spanning about 60 square kilometers, has been relentlessly targeted by Israeli forces in a campaign that Gaza officials now describe as a form of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Infrastructure collapse and humanitarian catastrophe

The media office stated that 12,000 square meters of Rafah have been demolished, leaving barely anything intact in the city’s core. Entire neighborhoods have vanished, roads are torn apart, and critical infrastructure has collapsed. What remains is a city that, according to officials, is “contaminated and uninhabitable.”

The damage extends far beyond homes. About 85 percent of Rafah’s sewage network has been destroyed, posing an enormous risk of disease outbreaks. With human waste spilling into streets and debris clogging drainage systems, sanitation has become impossible. Local health experts are already warning of potential cholera and dysentery outbreaks if conditions persist.

Even more alarming is the collapse of healthcare in Rafah. All twelve medical centers, including the main Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital, are no longer functional. The hospital, once the city’s primary medical facility, was reportedly blown up by Israeli forces using explosive robots during recent raids.

This has left tens of thousands of wounded and chronically ill residents without any access to treatment. Expectant mothers, cancer patients, and injured children are now stranded without help.

Education and faith under fire

In addition to healthcare, education in Rafah has also been decimated. Eight schools and other learning institutions have been completely destroyed. Remaining schools have suffered severe damage, making any form of continued education impossible.

The destruction has not spared religious sites either. More than 100 mosques have either been flattened or severely damaged. For a community already living through one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history, the loss of spiritual sanctuaries adds to the overwhelming emotional toll.

Water crisis worsens as aid is blocked

The water crisis in Rafah is becoming more deadly by the day. Of the city’s 24 water wells, 22 have been completely destroyed. Clean water is now a luxury that many families can’t find. Some residents are forced to rely on salty or contaminated water, risking severe illness.

Roads, too, have been destroyed—320 kilometers of them, according to the media office. This has not only cut off internal movement but also blocked aid deliveries. Relief trucks are unable to reach many neighborhoods, and essential supplies are not getting through. This has deepened the suffering of thousands who are now going days without food, water, or medicine.

Calls for international intervention

With Rafah now resembling a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Gaza officials are urging immediate international pressure on Israel. The media office has demanded that Israel withdraw from Rafah and that a safe humanitarian corridor be opened. They are also calling for the return of displaced residents and an international commitment to rebuilding the city.

Aid groups and human rights organizations have echoed these calls. Many are warning that without immediate action, the human suffering in Rafah could reach catastrophic proportions.

Netanyahu vows further escalation amid Trump-backed plan

Despite growing condemnation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to intensify military operations in Gaza. Over the past weekend, he reaffirmed his government’s commitment to what many now describe as an effort to forcibly remove Palestinians from the territory.

Netanyahu’s strategy is increasingly seen as aligning with the plan backed by US President Donald Trump, which critics say aims to expel Palestinians from Gaza altogether. While Trump no longer holds office, his influence on Israeli policy—especially during his administration’s historic moves like the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem—continues to shape actions on the ground.

A staggering death toll

Since October 2023, nearly 50,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the latest counts by local health authorities. The majority of those killed are women and children. Tens of thousands more have been injured, many of them suffering permanent disabilities.

The human cost is not only counted in lives lost, but in generations scarred. Children are growing up surrounded by bombed buildings, blood-stained streets, and the constant sound of drones overhead. Entire families have been erased in single airstrikes.

A city on the edge of extinction

Rafah, once a city of hope and resilience for Palestinians, is now barely a shadow of its former self. Residents who once found refuge in the southern part of Gaza have found themselves at the epicenter of Israel’s relentless campaign. With homes gone, hospitals flattened, and clean water unavailable, the population faces a future filled with uncertainty and trauma.

International silence is no longer an option, say Gaza authorities. They argue that if the world fails to act now, it will be complicit in one of the most devastating humanitarian failures of the 21st century.

What’s next for Rafah?

The Israeli army destruction in Rafah marks a grim chapter in the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine. With 90 percent of the city destroyed, Gaza officials are calling for the world to recognize the scale of the tragedy and push for immediate ceasefires, reconstruction, and justice.

Whether these calls will be answered remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Rafah’s suffering must not be forgotten. As the rubble continues to pile up, so too does the urgent need for a political and humanitarian breakthrough that can bring lasting peace to Gaza.