Rafah

geographical name

Ra·​fah ˈrä-fə How to pronounce Rafah (audio)
town divided by the border between Asia (the Gaza Strip) and Africa (the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt) population 139,000 for Palestinian-administered Rafah; 31,500 for Egyptian Rafah

Note: In 217 b.c., Ptolemy IV Philopater of Egypt defeated the Seleucid king Antiochus the Great here. From 1967 to 1982, Rafah was entirely within Israeli-occupied territory.

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Cite this Entry

“Rafah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rafah. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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