GAZA, May 25, 2004 (WAFA) ) – Dozens of Palestinians rushed to look into the rubbles of their homes that have recently been destroyed in the large-scale Israeli military invasion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah near the border with Egypt, hoping they could find some of their belongings.... Chains of tanks and armoured bulldozers demolished dozens of houses since Tuesday in Rafah and drove over their contents, in addition to destroying the main streets infrastructure of water, electricity, sewage and telephones.... According to medical sources, the attack that lasted for one week left at least 60 Palestinians killed, including children and women and more than 200 injured, where international figures said that more than 150 houses were destroyed, leaving hundreds homeless.... As soon as the tanks that separated the neighborhood of Tal al- Sultan from the entire city for one week left the main road, the residents went out from their houses looking for water and food.... They were shocked to see everything damaged, houses destroyed, roads and streets were turned up-side-down as if an earthquake shook the whole area. Houses were leveled with the ground, and streets flooded with drinking water mixing with sewage.... Palestinian witnesses said that streets were completely empty of tanks and armoured vehicles that operated into the neighborhood for several days.... However, the residents said that the (IOF) is still, occupying the whole neighborhood of al Barazil in the eastern part of the town.... The areas that the Israeli tanks and forces pulled out from were totally destroyed and need great efforts to build them up.... “What happened in Rafah is a devastating earthquake that was not natural but caused by the (IOF). It is really a tragic disaster. The losses are huge and initial statistics are talking about more than 200 houses totally destroyed,” said governor of Rafah Majid al- Agha.... He said that the Israeli soldiers destroyed the infrastructure of the whole area, and 'this would, of course, cause health and environmental problems and dangers that might cause fatal diseases....” “Hundreds of Palestinian families were forced to become homeless and now are living into the classrooms of schools. They are having tough and harsh living conditions in addition to their suffering,” said al Agha.... . “The destruction of Rafah occurred as fast as an arrow, but construction, aid and support occur as slow as a turtle,” said Mayor of Rafah Sa’eed Zu’rub.... Municipality crews hurried to Tal al- Sultan trying to fix what they can, especially electricity, and other workers were seen fixing the pipes of water and sewage, while Palestinian bulldozers were removing rubbles and hills of sands.... Mohamed Abu Ermana, a resident of Rafah said that the scenes of the destruction are everywhere, adding “some houses were totally leveled to the ground and many other houses became not suitable for living.... Women in black, carrying on their heads some of the houses contents which they found in the rubbles, headed to nowhere, while children played with pieces of their toys that they collected from the rubbles.... Aziza Radwan, a fifty five-year-old woman resident of Rafah carrying some pieces of furniture on her head and children walking behind her, carrying parts of their toys, said that “it is another Nakba added to our ongoing disasters caused by Israeli colonizers....”