Israeli air strikes have killed at least 31 people, including six children, across the Gaza Strip. More than 250 others were injured.
Israeli attacks on Gaza have destroyed apartment buildings and attacked refugee camps. Palestinian armed group Islamic Jihad responded by firing rockets at Israel. According to Israeli media, most were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system and there were no serious injuries.
The Israeli military said it was preparing for a week of operations. Meanwhile, Egypt and the United Nations are trying to broker a truce.
In the following series of maps, Al Jazeera takes you on a journey through Gaza’s five capitals, highlighting key locations, including hospitals, schools, universities, and complexes of United Nations, refugee camps, intersections and other critical infrastructure.
15 years blockaded by Israel
Gaza has a population of about 2.1 million people living in five autonomous regions: Northern Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis and Rafah. Bordered by Israel and Egypt on the Mediterranean coast, this stretch of land is about 365 square kilometers (141 square miles). With a length of just 41 kilometers (25 miles), it can be less than an hour’s drive from Rafah in the south to Beit Hanoun in the north.
Since 2008, Israel has waged four wars on Palestinian territory, killing thousands of people, mostly civilians. In Israel’s final assault on Gaza, Israeli attacks killed at least 261 people, including 67 children, and wounded more than 2,200, according to the United Nations.
According to the news the UN.
Israeli air strikes have also damaged at least six hospitals and 11 primary care centers, including Gaza’s only COVID-19 testing laboratory.
Northern Gaza
The Northern Gaza District shares a 10km (6-mile) border with Israel. The Gaza Strip is surrounded by a fortified perimeter consisting of a concrete wall and a two-wire fence. Anyone who steps within 1 km (0.6 miles) of this fence runs the risk of being shot by the Israeli military, which patrols the northern and eastern borders of Gaza.
The Beit Hanoon crossing, known as Erez to the Israelis and administered by the Israeli military, is Gaza’s only northern crossing into Israel. From there, Palestinians with special permits – usually for emergency medical treatment – are allowed to leave Gaza en route to Jerusalem or the West Bank. Gaza is only about 100km (62 miles) from Jerusalem, but due to tight security measures, it becomes a journey that takes several hours. Since 2007, Israel has imposed a sea and air blockade on Gaza.
Northern Gaza is home to the largest refugee camp in the Strip. The Jabalia refugee camp covers an area of 1.4 square kilometers (0.5 square miles) and with a population of 114,000, it is one of the most densely populated places on Earth.
Gaza City
Gaza City is the largest and most populous city in the Gaza Strip, with more than 700,000 inhabitants. Rimal, Shujaiya and Tel al-Hawa are among its most famous neighbourhoods.
The heart of the Rimal neighborhood is Al Shifa Hospital – the largest medical facility in the Gaza Strip.
Surrounding the hospital are several UN agencies, including UNRWA, the United Nations Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). . Gaza’s top universities – including the Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University – Gaza and Al-Aqsa University, just a few hundred meters apart – are also located in the vicinity of Rimal.
The Shati refugee camp, also known as Beach Camp, is located along the Mediterranean coast of Gaza and is the third largest of the eight camps of the Gaza Strip.
Deir el-Balah
Named after “The Monastery of the Date Palm,” Deir el-Balah is one of Gaza’s largest agricultural producers. It is also home to four refugee camps: Nuseirat, Al Bureij, Al Maghazi and Deir el-Balah.
Gaza’s only operating power plant is located along the district’s boundary with Gaza City. Over the past 10 years, the Gaza Strip has suffered from chronic power shortages, which has severely affected its ability to provide essential services including health, water and sanitation services, manufacturing and agriculture.
Only 5% of Gaza’s water is safe to drink and 68% of its population is food insecure, according to UN.
Khan Yunis
Khan Yunis District is home to about 400,000 people. At its center is the Khan Yunis refugee camp, home to some 87,000 people.
In 2005, nearly 8,000 Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers living in 21 settlements around Gaza were largely relocated to the occupied West Bank following the then Israeli Prime Minister’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip. is Ariel Sharon. Most of these settlements were in Khan Yunis.
Israel declares occupying Gaza since 1967 ended when it withdrew troops and settlers from the territory but international law considers Gaza as occupied territory because Israel has full control over Gaza’s borders, airspace and waters .
Rafah
Rafah is the southernmost district of Gaza with a population of more than 250,000. The district is best known for the trade with Egypt that bears its name.
According to the United Nations, in 2020, the route crossing the Rafah Sea and the Erez River into Israel will only open for 125 days. Palestinians wishing to leave must obtain permission in limited numbers to leave the Gaza Strip. This process can take weeks or months, depending on the state of the border.
Those able to cross the Rafah crossing must then make a six- to eight-hour journey through the Sinai desert, passing through several Egyptian checkpoints en route to Cairo, some 400 kilometers away. (250 miles). Rafah’s second sea crossing into Egypt was the Salah al-Din gate, which was used to transport goods.
The third crossing from Rafah is the Israeli-controlled Karem Abu Salem crossing, known as Kerem Shalom, to the Israelis.
Gaza has no functional airport after Israel bombed and destroyed Yasser Arafat International Airport in 2001, just three years after it opened.
Gaza was once again the scene of widespread destruction and human suffering and remains often described as “the world’s largest open-air prison”.
