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Line 48: '''Rafah''' ({{lang-ar|رفح}} {{transliteration|ar|Rafaḥ}} {{IPA-ar|rafaħ|}}) is a [[State of Palestine|Palestinian]] city in the southern [[Gaza Strip]]. It is the capital of the [[Rafah Governorate]] of the [[State of Palestine]], located {{convert|30|km|mi|sp=us}} south-west of [[Gaza City]]. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889.<ref name="PrelimCensus2017" /> As a result of massive bombardment and ground assaults in [[Gaza City]] and [[Khan Yunis]] by [[Israel]] during the [[Israel–Hamas war]], about 1.4 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering in Rafah as of February 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gaza: Israel’s military operation in Rafah would be fatal for displaced civilians and humanitarian aid |url=https://www.nrc.no/news/2024/february/gaza-israels-military-operation-in-rafah-would-be-fatal-for-displaced-civilians-and-humanitarian-aid/ |date=8 February 2024|access-date=8 February 2024 |work=Norwegian Refugee Council}}</ref> After the [[1948 Palestine war]], [[Egypt]] governed the area and [[refugee camp]]s for displaced Palestinians who [[1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight|fled or were expelled]] When Israel withdrew from the Sinai in 1982, Rafah was split into a Gazan part and an [[Rafah, Egypt|Egyptian part]], dividing families, separated by barbed-wire barriers.<ref name=cinderella /><ref name=kliot_1995 /> The core of the city was destroyed by Israel,<ref name="Razing_Rafah">[https://web.archive.org/web/20060325230545/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/rafah1004/rafah1004text.pdf ''Razing Rafah — Mass Home Demolitions in the Gaza Strip''], pp. 27–28 and 52–66 (PDF text version) on [https://web.archive.org/web/20060325230545/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/rafah1004/], [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324012233/http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/gaza/ Summary:]. [http://www.refworld.org/docid/45d171362.html ''The report on refworld:'']. Human Rights Watch (HRW), October 2004</ref><ref name=UNWRA_appeal>[http://www.unrwa.org/userfiles/2010011813024.pdf ''Supplementary Appeal for Rafah'']. UNWRA, May 2004</ref><ref name="Uprooting">PCHR, [http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/Reports/English/uprooting%20_trees%20_10.pdf ''Uprooting Palestinian Trees And Leveling Agricultural Land – The tenth Report on Israeli Land Sweeping and Demolition of Palestinian Buildings and Facilities in the Gaza Strip 1 April 2003 – 30 April 2004''] On [http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2675:the-tenth-report-on-israeli-land-sweeping-and-demolition-of-palestinian-buildings-and-facilities-in-the-gaza-strip-1-april-2003-30-april2004&catid=43:pchrdemolitionlandsweeping&Itemid=187]</ref> as well as Egypt,<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/08/egyptian-military-doubling-buffer-zone-with-gaza-demolishing-nearly-1220-more/ ''Egyptian military doubling buffer zone with Gaza, demolishing nearly 1,220 more homes'']. Associated Press, 8 January 2015</ref><ref>[https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/09/22/look-another-homeland/forced-evictions-egypts-rafah ''Look for Another Homeland'']. Human Rights Watch, September 2015</ref> in order to create a large [[Gaza–Egypt border#Buffer zone|buffer zone]]. | |||