Hamas Denounces Israeli Army's Burning Of Departure Hall In Rafah Crossing As 'Criminal Act'

The Palestinian group Hamas on Monday condemned the Israeli army's burning of the departure hall of the Rafah crossing, describing it as a "criminal act and brutal behavior" that confirms Israel's "genocide in Gaza".

In a statement, the group said the Israeli act of burning the departure hall and other facilities inside the Rafah crossing, rendering it completely inoperable "requires widespread international condemnation."

It added that Israel "bears the consequences of this crime, which resulted in cutting off Palestinians' communication with the outside world," and urged international action to open the Rafah crossing, facilitate people travel, and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the strip.

According to an Anadolu reporter, the Israeli army on Monday burned down the departure hall on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, eventually disconnecting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

Several Palestinian social media accounts shared images of the departure hall being completely burned down.

On May 6, the Israeli army invaded Rafah, a tiny city at the southern tip of Gaza despite international warnings. It also captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, a vital route to humanitarian aid into Gaza, worsening the already difficult humanitarian conditions in the territory.

Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 37,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and more than 85,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara -