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  • 2 years ago
Australia has joined the United Nations in saying it's deeply concerned about the fate of civilians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to draw up a plan to evacuate Palestinian refugees before it begins a ground assault to defeat remaining Hamas fighters. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says civilians must be protected.

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00:00 More than half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have fled to Rafa since the
00:08 war began in October.
00:11 Plans for an evacuation ahead of an Israeli ground invasion have intensified feelings
00:15 of sheer terror.
00:17 "We're afraid.
00:18 Where will we go?
00:20 We're so worried.
00:21 I don't want to migrate.
00:25 Whatever Israel wants to do, let it do.
00:28 I won't go anywhere.
00:29 I will die in my tent."
00:33 The tiny southern city was already overcrowded and not designed for the huge influx of refugees.
00:41 Disease is spreading as families here are living in unsanitary conditions, making them
00:45 especially vulnerable.
00:47 In the past 48 hours, airstrikes on residential buildings have killed more civilians, including
00:54 children.
00:55 "We've got to go.
00:58 We can't stay here.
00:59 We can't go anywhere."
01:00 "There was a very powerful explosion.
01:01 We heard a lot of screams and stones falling from above.
01:04 We found a father and his daughter dead on the ground.
01:07 As you can see, the situation is dire.
01:10 An entire building has been destroyed without any warning."
01:15 The United Nations says there is very little they can do when ground attacks begin.
01:20 "We're trying to keep civilians fed, keep them dry and warm.
01:25 It's nearly impossible for us to protect them from tank fire, from artillery shells."
01:32 But amongst the barbed wire outside the Rafah tent camps, these refugee kids say they want
01:39 to decorate the sky.
01:41 "We have lost all our toys at home as well as our friends and our loved ones.
01:46 The planes of the Israelis carry out airstrikes while ours do not."
01:51 Even if the Israeli military does move these civilians, where would they go?
01:56 The United Nations says forced displacement is against international law.
02:01 And Australia's Foreign Minister says she's deeply concerned about reports of this impending
02:06 operation.
02:07 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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