Brief: Rafah reopens to restricted traffic as Israeli strikes continue to kill | The Take

Key Concepts

• Rafa Crossing: The sole remaining crossing point between Gaza and Egypt, recently reopened by Israel with severe restrictions on movement.
• Ceasefire Violations: Continued Israeli airstrikes despite a ceasefire agreement, resulting in Palestinian casualties.
• Cemetery Destruction: Systematic destruction of Palestinian cemeteries by Israeli forces, both through bulldozing and airstrikes.
• Disparity in Movement: Unequal allowance for Palestinians leaving and returning to Gaza via the Rafa crossing.
• Human Toll: The extensive impact of the conflict on Palestinian civilians, including the disruption of mourning rituals and desecration of graves.

Gaza Conflict Update: February 1, 2024 – The Take

Casualty Figures & Timeline

As of February 1, 2024, Israel’s military operations in Gaza, initiated following the events of October 7, 2023, have resulted in the deaths of at least 71,769 Palestinians. This update comes 123 days into the current phase of the conflict. On Saturday, January 31st, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 31 Palestinians, including six children.

Rafa Crossing Reopening & Restrictions

On Sunday morning, February 1st, Israel reopened the Rafa crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip to Egypt, after being closed for nearly two years. However, the reopening is accompanied by significant restrictions. According to Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmood, the Israeli military intends to allow approximately 150 Palestinians to leave Gaza daily, while only permitting 50 to return.

Mahmood highlights the disparity in these numbers, stating, “This disparity between the two numbers… just casts doubts and fear among people as they want those who are exiting and those returning to be equally… the same.” He further explains that the Israeli military’s intention appears to be “to empty the Gaza Strip through controlling people’s movement in and out of the Gaza Strip.” Critically, aid trucks are currently excluded from the reopening; no aid is being allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafa crossing at this stage.

Ceasefire Violations & Attacks on Civilian Areas

Despite the existence of a ceasefire agreement implemented in October of last year, Israeli violations continued on Saturday. An Israeli strike hit the city of Tens in Al-Masi, a displacement camp in southern Gaza, killing at least seven people, all from the same family. As Hani Mahmood reports, “It came without warning. An Israeli strike hitting a city of tens in Al-Masi, a displacement camp in the south of the strip where tens of thousands of Palestinians live in squalor.”

Further attacks targeted a police station in the Sherwan neighborhood of Gaza City in the north. The Israeli army claims these attacks targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad weapons depots and manufacturing sites. This escalation represents one of the bloodiest days since the ceasefire’s implementation.

Destruction of Palestinian Cemeteries

A particularly disturbing aspect of the conflict is the systematic destruction of Palestinian cemeteries. The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Gaza reports that 58 out of 62 cemeteries in Gaza have been completely or partially destroyed. This destruction occurs both through Israeli military bulldozing, ostensibly in the search for the bodies of Israeli captives killed in Gaza, and as a result of airstrikes.

Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Ahali reported from Albat cemetery in Gaza City’s Alto neighborhood, describing the situation as a “stark illustration of a lethal double standard.” He notes, “An army mobilized for a single Israeli body while countless Palestinian bodies are left in the ruins of a shattered apocalyptic landscape.”

Civil Defense reports that Israeli authorities have granted permission to reach Albati cemetery, but this permission leaves families “in limbo and unable to protect the graves of their loved ones.” Ahali emphasizes the profound impact on grieving families, stating, “In Gaza, even the dead in cemeteries are being desecrated even in their final resting place. The graves were disturbed and lived in a manner that shows a complete disregard for their dignity.”

Concluding Remarks

The situation in Gaza remains dire, characterized by ongoing violence, restricted movement, and the desecration of sacred spaces. The reopening of the Rafa crossing offers a limited opportunity for movement, but is heavily controlled and does not address the urgent need for humanitarian aid. The continued destruction of cemeteries underscores the immense human toll of the conflict and the denial of basic dignity to both the living and the dead.