Rafah is a dusty, rubble-strewn ghost town 2 months after Israel invaded to root out Hamas

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Two months ago, before Israeli troops invaded Rafah, the city sheltered most of Gaza's more than 2 million people. Today it is a dust-covered ghost town.

Abandoned, bullet-ridden apartment buildings have blasted out walls and shattered windows. Bedrooms and kitchens are visible from roads dotted with rubble piles that tower over the Israeli military vehicles passing by. Very few civilians remain.

Israel says it has nearly defeated Hamas forces in Rafah — an area identified earlier this year as the militant group's' last stronghold in Gaza.

The Israeli military invited reporters into Rafah on Wednesday, the first time international media visited Gaza's southernmost city since it was invaded May 6. Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza independently since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that sparked the war.

Before invading Rafah, Israel said Hamas' four remaining battalions had retreated there, an area of about 25 square miles (65 square kilometers) that borders Egypt. Israel says hundreds of militants have been killed in its Rafah offensive. Scores of women and children have also died from Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.

The military says it has been necessary to operate with such intensity because Hamas turned civilian areas into treacherous traps. Eight soldiers were killed last month by a single blast.

“Some of these tunnels are booby-trapped,” the military's chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said during Wednesday's tour as he stood over a shaft that led underground. “Hamas built everything in a civilian neighborhood among houses, among mosques, among the population, in order to create its terror ecosystem.”

An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians crammed into Rafah after fleeing fighting elsewhere in Gaza. The U.N. estimates that around 50,000 remain in Rafah, which had a pre-war population of about 275,000.

Most have moved to a nearby Israel-declared “humanitarian area” where conditions are grave. Many are clustering in squalid tent camps along the beach with scant access to clean water, food, bathrooms and medical care.

Efforts to bring aid into southern Gaza have stalled. Israel's incursion into Rafah closed down one of two major crossings into the south of Gaza. The U.N. says little aid can enter from the other main crossing — Kerem Shalom — because the route is too dangerous and convoys are vulnerable to attacks by armed groups searching for smuggled-in cigarettes.

On Wednesday, a line of trucks on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom was visible, but the trucks were hardly moving — a sign of how Israel's pledge to keep the route safe in order to facilitate the delivery of aid inside Gaza has fallen flat.

U.N. officials say some commercial trucks have braved the route into Rafah, but not without hired armed guards riding atop their convoys.

Israel says it is close to dismantling the group as an organized military force in Rafah. In a reflection of that confidence, soldiers brought journalists in open-air military vehicles down the road that leads into the heart of the city.

Along the way, debris lying by the side of the road made clear the perils of aid delivery: carcasses of trucks lying baking in the hot sun; dashboards covered in fencing meant to protect drivers; aid pallets lying empty.

The longer the aid delivery is frozen, humanitarian groups say, the closer Gaza comes to running out of fuel, which is needed for hospitals, water desalination plants and vehicles.

“The hospitals are once again short on fuel, risking disruption of critical services,” said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean. "Injured people are dying because the ambulance services are facing delays due to fuel shortages.”

As the humanitarian situation worsens, Israel is pushing ahead with its offensive. Combat in Rafah is ongoing.

After journalists heard nearby gunshots on Wednesday, the soldiers told the group they would not be visiting the beach, as had been planned.

The group departed the city soon after, with clouds of dust kicked up by vehicles temporarily obscuring the mass of destruction behind them.

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Associated Press reporter Julia Frankel contributed from Jerusalem.

Israeli tanks are seen next to destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

An Israeli tank is seen next to destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli soldiers gather in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli soldiers walk in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli military spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, speaks to the media next to the entrance of a tunnel that the military says Hamas militants used in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Israel says that Hamas has booby-trapped tunnel shafts, roads and buildings in the area. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli soldiers walk in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli soldiers gather in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli soldiers walk in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

An Israeli soldier drives on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Arne Slot earned a Liverpool record of nine wins from his first 10 games in charge after the club stayed on the top of the English Premier League on Saturday.

Diogo Jota’s ninth-minute goal at Selhurst Park held up to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 and ensure Slot would be looking down on rival managers Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Mikel Arteta of Arsenal heading into the international break.

Four-time defending champion City is second after beating Fulham 3-2 and third-placed Arsenal won against Southampton 3-1. Both trail Liverpool by a point.

Slot is making light work of filling the void left by Anfield great Jurgen Klopp, with no other manager in the club’s history winning so many of his opening games in all competitions.

“It definitely is (very satisfying). And it’s actually also quite special if you know how many great managers Liverpool had,” Slot said. “But I also said last week I think that I hope they don’t only remember me in one, two, three, four, five years only for this. We are hoping to do more special things than this.”

Liverpool’s only defeat under the Dutchman was a shock 1-0 home loss against Nottingham Forest. Otherwise, it has been a perfect start for a man who had the ominous task of replacing Klopp, who won a full set of major honors including the Premier League and Champions League.

Slot looks likely to be the main challenger to City and Arsenal, who have been first and second respectively in the last two seasons.

Both of those teams survived scares to come from behind to win at home.

It wasn’t all good news for Liverpool after goalkeeper Alisson sustained a suspected hamstring injury and was substituted in the second half at Palace.

The Brazil international, who has only recently returned from a muscle injury, was holding the back of his right leg after limping off Selhurst Park and is likely to miss Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru.

Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister also went off with a groin issue that makes him a doubt for his country’s qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia.

City extended its unbeaten home run to 50 games in all competitions with victory against Fulham.

The sequence dates to November 2022 when Brentford won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium through Ivan Toney’s last-minute strike. City was knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Real Madrid last season after losing a penalty shootout, but the game ended 1-1 after extra time and does not officially count as a defeat.

It took John Stones’ stoppage-time goal to preserve the record in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal last month and on Saturday two goals from Mateo Kovacic saw City fight back after Andreas Pereira fired Fulham into a 26th-minute lead.

Kovacic’s deflected strike leveled the score in the 32nd and he made it 2-1 in the 47th.

Jeremy Doku extended City’s lead in the 82nd before substitute Rodrigo Muniz set up a tense finish with Fulham’s second in the 88th.

Had Adama Traore been more clinical with chances in each half, City’s proud record might have been broken.

City is unbeaten in its last 30 games in the league.

Arsenal’s 400th home win in the Premier League era was secured only after being given a fright by second-from-bottom Southampton, which took the lead at Emirates Stadium through Cameron Archer 10 minutes into the second half.

Bukayo Saka set up goals for Kai Havertz in the 58th and Gabriel Martinelli in the 68th before Southampton twice hit the frame of the goal in search of an equalizer.

Saka then put the game beyond doubt with his third goal of the season in the 88th.

After becoming the first team in Premier League history to score in the opening minute in three consecutive games, Brentford is slowing down.

The west London club’s fans had to wait until the second minute to cheer its first goal against Wolves on Saturday when Nathan Collins found the back of the net on the way to a wild 5-3 win.

Matheus Cunha equalized for Wolves two minutes later and Bryan Mbeumo restored Brentford’s advantage from the penalty spot in the 20th.

It was all square again when Jorgen Strand Larsen leveled in the 26th, then Christian Norgaard put the home team in front for the third time in the 28th.

Ethan Pinnock made it 4-2 in first half stoppage time.

A frantic finish saw Fabio Carvalho score a fifth for Brentford in the 90th and Rayan Ait-Nouri grab a consolation for last-placed Wolves three minutes later.

Newcastle's Anthony Gordon failed to score from the penalty spot on his return to former club Everton as Newcastle drew 0-0 at Goodison Park.

Gordon, who began his career at Everton before joining Newcastle last year, saw his spot kick saved by Jordan Pickford in the 35th to the delight of the home fans.

The point maintained Everton’s recent upturn in form and extended its unbeaten run to four games in all competitions after losing its first four in the league.

Leicester won for the first time since being promoted back to the top flight by beating Bournemouth 1-0.

Facundo Buonanotte struck the winner in the 16th at King Power Stadium.

Also, West Ham beat Ipswich 4-1 at London Stadium.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, left, sees his penalty shot saved by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool. England, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Michail Antonio, right, celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Ipswich at the London Stadium, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

Leicester City's Facundo Buonanotte celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, London, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Brentford fans celebrate their side's fourth goal of the game scored by Ethan Pinnock during the Premier League match between Brentford and Wolverhampton at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Tomas Soucek celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the British Premier League soccer match between West Ham and Brentford, at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Southampton at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Manchester City's Jeremy Doku celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Fulham at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)

Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic, center, scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Fulham at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)

From left: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota celebrate after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, second from right, celebrates with teammatesafter scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, right, scores the opening goal past Crystal Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, centre, scores the opening goal past Crystal Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, left, and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr challenge for the ball the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Cody Gakpo, centre left, Ryan Gravenberch, centre, and Diogo Jota celebrate after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's manager Arne Slot, centre right, celebrates with players after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)