In the early morning hours of this day in 2014, the residents of the eastern area of Rafah returned to their homes, which they had left after the Israeli forces' incursion there. There was talk of a ceasefire that was violated just minutes before it was set to begin. However, tanks and aircraft quickly bombarded Rafah intensively and indiscriminately, after the Israeli occupation discovered that one of its soldiers (Hadar Goldin) had been captured by Palestinian resistance.
At that time, the eastern area of Rafah experienced the fall of a shell every ten seconds, with more than three thousand shells being fired. Dozens of martyrs fell in the first moments.
Medical crews and paramedics were not spared from targeting as they tried to reach the targeted areas. The hospital director mentioned, "We faced difficulty reaching the bombing sites, and several paramedics were injured while performing their duties without being able to rescue all the victims."
He added, "The occupation directly targeted the hospital... making it unsafe and unsuitable for operation after suffering extensive damage from the shelling." He noted that dozens of citizens sought refuge in the hospital from the intensity of the shelling. Meanwhile, the occupation claimed that its captured soldier was in the hospital, using it as a pretext to continue targeting it both by air and ground.
Refrigerators filled with the martyrs' bodies, and medical teams were forced to store some of them in food refrigerators. Some martyrs were buried without being identified due to being torn into pieces by the intensity of the shelling. Multiple bodies were buried in the same grave due to their large numbers and the limited space in the cemeteries.
The refrigerators filled with the martyrs' bodies, and medical teams were forced to store some of them in food refrigerators. Some martyrs were buried without being identified due to being torn into pieces by the intensity of the shelling. Multiple bodies were buried in the same grave due to their large numbers and the limited space in the cemeteries.
The Rafah massacre, in which 140 Palestinians were martyred, hundreds were injured, and most of its eastern region was destroyed, remains a witness to the international community's silence and negligence towards the Gaza Strip, especially after the occupation used the scorched-earth tactic in destroying the area.
The Rafah massacre concluded with the martyrdom of 140 Palestinians, the injury of hundreds, and the destruction of most of its eastern region. Those responsible for the massacre, including the leaders of the occupation, were not brought to trial. However, the story has not ended yet. "The black box" remains closed, and the Palestinian resistance holds all its secrets and mysteries, which, according to analysts and political observers, will surprise everyone.
On July 7, 2014, the Gaza Strip experienced a large-scale Israeli war that lasted for 51 days, involving thousands of airstrikes, ground operations, and naval attacks. This resulted in the martyrdom of 2,324 Palestinians, the injury of thousands, and the destruction of thousands of homes, industrial facilities, mosques, and schools.
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