Rafah remains under relentless Israeli bombardment

RAFAH, GAZA, PALESTINE - MAY 15: As the Israeli genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip reached its 222nd day on Wednesday, May 15, Israeli army continued to pound different areas in Rafah. Video footage captures plumes of smoke rising from multiple residential areas in Rafah following Israeli bombardment. The Israeli army launched a ground offensive on May 6 in Rafah, home to around 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) estimating that around half a million people have fled the city since the start of the Israeli attack. Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people. More than 35,230 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 79,140 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. In the West Bank, nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured since Oct. 7, along with daily arrest campaigns by the Israeli army. Israel is accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. (Footage by Hani Alshaer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)