[Salon] Israeli Army Burns Rafah Departure Hall, Severing Gaza's Connection to the World

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

FM: John Whitbeck

The news reported in the article at the link transmitted below has personal significance for me.

In 1999 and 2000, I passed through the Rafah "departure" hall both coming and going on three trips from Jeddah to Gaza, on Palestinian Airlines, for work in my capacity as pro bono legal advisor to the Palestinian leadership.

Passports would be presented to Palestinians on the ground level and then passed up, both literally and substantively, to Israelis behind one-way windows who made the decisions.

Soon thereafter, Israel plowed up the landing strip and shut down the only airport in Palestine.

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/criminal-act-israeli-army-burns-rafah-departure-hall-severing-gazas-connection-to-world/

‘Criminal Act’ – Israeli Army Burns Rafah Departure Hall, Severing Gaza’s Connection to World

June 17, 2024 Blog, News

The Israeli army burned down the departure hall on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. (Photo: via Younis Tirawi, Twitter)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

This incident coincides with ongoing incursions by Israeli military vehicles into Rafah’s Philadelphi Corridor.

The Israeli army burned down on Monday the departure hall on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, effectively severing Gaza’s connection to the outside world.

This act follows the Israeli army’s seizure of the Rafah crossing 40 days ago. 

The departure hall, along with other facilities and buildings, was set on fire, cutting off communication for Palestinians in Gaza. 

Several Palestinian social media accounts shared images showing the departure hall completely engulfed in flames.

This incident coincides with ongoing incursions by Israeli military vehicles into Rafah’s Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

The Israeli occupation forces burned down the departure hall on the Palestinian territory of the #Rafah crossing today.

This comes after the IOF seized control of the crossing 40 days ago.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, the IOF set fire to the departure hall, along… pic.twitter.com/pPQ9Lan7ai

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 17, 2024