Israel moves to carve up Gaza, seizing Rafah in new plan: Report

Israel is expanding its buffer zone to swallow Rafah, the last refuge for displaced Palestinians, in what is Israel's latest land grab aimed at permanently severing Gaza from Egypt, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

Before the war, this stretch of land that borders Egypt and includes the city of Rafah was home to 200,000 people.

Relentless Israeli bombardment has now reduced it to rubble, forcing nearly everyone to flee. The Israeli military, after breaking the ceasefire in March, forced the remaining residents to evacuate to a so-called humanitarian zone near Khan Younis and al-Mawasi - a barren coastal strip offering little but overcrowding and suffering.

With Israel’s so-called buffer zone now consuming around one-fifth of Gaza, the enclave is being systematically cut up in several zones.