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IN PHOTOS | The growing humanitarian crisis in southern Gaza

Here's a look at the growing humanitarian crisis in southern Gaza, including the border crossing in Rafah, following Israel's order that more than one million people — half the population — leave northern Gaza territory within 24 hours on Friday.

WARNING: This story contains graphic images of death

CBC News ·
Early morning, a man flashes a peace sign with one hand surrounded by other people; he's part of volunteers and NGO staff on the Egypt side of the border crossing with Rafah, Gaza.
Volunteers and staff of non-governmental organizations flash peace signs on the Egypt side of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza on Tuesday. (Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)

Israel ordered more than one million people — half the population — to leave northern Gaza within 24 hours on Friday, ahead of an anticipated ground invasion. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled south, including thousands to Rafah, which has the territory's only border crossing to Egypt.

Here's a look at the growing humanitarian crisis at the crossing and Rafah itself, after Israel cut food, fuel and electricity supplies to Gaza and blocked aid from entering.

On Egypt side of Rafah border crossing

Egypt is still negotiating with Israel on the delivery of humanitarian assistance and fuel to Gaza from Rafah and the Kerem Shalom checkpoint, a senior Egyptian official said Tuesday, as trucks loaded with aid wait for permission to cross into the besieged territory.

Parked tractor-trailers, part of a humanitarian convoy) face the Rafah border crossing on the Egypt side, with people milling about, early morning.
A humanitarian aid convoy for the Gaza Strip is parked at the Rafah border crossing on the Egypt side on Tuesday. The aid convoy, organized by a group of Egyptians, set off on Saturday from Cairo for the Rafah crossing. (Omar Aziz/The Associated Press)
Parked tractor-trailers, part of a humanitarian aid convoy, line both sides of a road at on the Egypt side of border crossing with Rafah, Gaza.
Aid convoy trucks wait at the Rafah border crossing, on the Egypt side. (Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)
Aid supplies on crates are unloaded from aid truck convoys by the Egypt-Gaza border crossing, with palm trees in the distance.
Crates of aid supplies are seen on Monday in North Sinai, Egypt. (Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images)
Two fuel trucks move towards the Egypt-Gaza border crossing, in Rafah, Gaza.
UN-flagged fuel trucks move towards the border crossing, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)

On Gaza side of border crossing

People sit with their luggage, while others mill about behind them at the Rafah border crossing.
People wait to cross into Egypt at the Rafah border crossing on Monday. (Fatima Shbair/The Associated Press)
A child peers out a window of a vehicle that's parked, with luggage piled on a roof rack above the vehicle, at the Rafah border crossing.
Families in cars wait to cross into Egypt at the Rafah border crossing. (Fatima Shbair/The Associated Press)
A couple and their child walk by another man, with people following behind them at the Rafah border crossing.
People arrive at the Rafah border crossing on Saturday. (Hatem Ali/The Associated Press)
A satellite image shows crowds of people and vehicles, waiting to leave from the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, on Oct. 16, 2023.
This satellite image shows crowds of people and vehicles waiting to leave from the Gaza side of the border with Egypt on Monday. (Maxar Technologies)

Airstrikes in southern Gaza

Early on Tuesday, people described intense bombardments in Rafah and Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, with dozens reported killed. 

Israel has carried out unrelenting airstrikes against Hamas-ruled Gaza since the militant attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

The Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,778 people and wounded 9,700 others in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry there.

WARNING | The following contains graphic images of death:

Smoke rises from an area in Rafah hit by an Israeli strike in southern Gaza Strip.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on Tuesday. (Hatem Ali/The Associated Press)
A woman carrying a child in diapers looking in shock, with young children and others nearby following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza.
People try to escape the bombardment in Rafah. (Hatem Ali/The Associated Press)
People carry a person on a stretcher amid rubble following Israeli airstrikes in Rafah in southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinians carry a person killed by the airstrike in Rafah. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
A man reacts next to a body of a woman killed in Israeli strikes on houses, in Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip. He is surrounded by grey rubble.
A man reacts next to the body of a woman killed in Rafah. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)

With files from The Associated Press

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