SOCIALIST UNITY

Across Britain there are activist groups with friendship and twinning links with Palestinian towns. Most of these – for reasons of practicality and accessibility – are with towns or refugee camps in the West bank. But Islington is twinned with Yibna refugee camp in Rafah, which is in Gaza directly on the border with Egypt. A border to safety that remains steadfast shut throughout the current murderous atrocities, to Egypt’s deep shame.

The residents of Yibna have been sending frequent updates to their friends in Islington. Sometimes these are just short txt messages like: “I’m not home now, I left, they attacked 2 houses closer to my house”

The number of dead being quoted in the press certainly underestimates the scale of the slaughter. Many of the over 3,000 injured will die because of the horrific injuries caused by the bombs used by Israel [see the Times: “Israel rains fire on Gaza with phosphorus shells“]. In addition, many are dying because of the near collapse of the medical system because Israel is preventing medical supplies and electricity. All Gaza crossings were closed last Sunday after air raids of Rafah, and no supplies had reached the hospitals there. No ambulances had been able to reach the town to evacuate patients.

Shortly before midnight on Tuesday night missiles began raining down on Rafah in one of the heaviest Israeli air strikes since the current atrocities began. Continuous sorties pounded the southern Gaza city for over 12 hours. Many homes were destroyed or severely damaged, especially in the neighbourhoods along the border with Egypt .

Residents reported mass leaflet drops in these neighbourhoods by Israeli ‘planes this afternoon. The papers ordered them to leave their homes in the areas stretching from the borderline all the way back to Sea Street , the main street running through the heart of Rafah, parallel to the border. This area is hundreds of metres deep and the site of thousands of homes. Most of these areas are refugee camps, where residents are being made refugees yet again, some for the third or fourth time following the mass home demolitions of 2003 and 2004 by Israeli military D-9 bulldozers.

A three hour respite was announced in the local media and residents saw this as the last possible opportunity to salvage some of their belongings despite F-16 fighter jets remaining in the skies over Rafah during this time. There were scenes of people picking through the rubble, children carrying bundles, donkey carts piled with bedding and trucks loaded with furniture.

Where will these families go? They are afraid to seek sanctuary in local UNRWA schools following yesterday’s massacres in Jabaliya. They are being temporarily absorbed by the rest of Rafah’s population – friends, neighbours, relatives.

There is no where to go. There is no sanctuary. The border to Egypt remains closed.

See also Richard Seymour’s blog.