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 Some 270 people, including five World Vision sponsored children, were left homeless Oct. 1 when Israeli troops leveled 18 homes in the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza. Witnesses reported that the bulldozers, accompanied by tanks and armored vehicles, arrived at 1 a.m. and destroyed the homes over four hours.
The Israeli government cited security reasons for the action to provide a buffer zone with Egypt. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights and other organizations said the Israelis are seeking to increase their control over the area.
Israeli soldiers reportedly shelled areas of the refugee camp and fired shots throughout the night. As a result, 270 people comprising 44 families were displaced. Those included five children sponsored through World Vision.
Nearly 160,000 people live in Rafah. About 10,000 Palestinian children are sponsored through World Vision programs in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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