- Israel intensifies Rafah assaults
- US warns against offensive
- Civilians, aid at risk
Israel is intensifying its assaults on Rafah in preparation for a ground offensive, despite the United States’ warning against an assault on the southern Gaza Strip, characterising such an operation as a “catastrophe” and the fears of displaced Palestinians.
Rafah was the target of multiple rounds of airstrikes and tank bombardment by the Israeli military on Thursday and Friday. At least three minors were among the eight people killed in Israeli attacks on Rafah homes on Friday morning, according to Wafa, the Palestinian state news agency. Five of the deceased belonged to the same family.
“Our backs are against the [border] fence, and our faces are directed at the Mediterranean. ‘Which direction ought we to take?’ Emad, 55, a father of six, and his family, who had escaped to Rafah, was questioned.
A kindergarten that housed displaced people in az-Zawayda was also bombed, resulting in four fatalities and several injuries. Additionally, one individual was killed in a bombing that occurred in Deir el-Balah, both located in central Gaza.
Rafah Offensive Sparks International Concern
A number of high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have expressed their intention to extend their military campaign in Gaza to encompass the enclave of Rafah. Due to persistent Israeli attacks, more than half of the 2.3 million inhabitants of Rafah have been forcibly displaced. Some have been displaced multiple times.
The United States, which has provided substantial financial and military support to Israel in its conflict with Gaza, has issued a “disaster” warning regarding a large-scale offensive into Rafah. This is due to the large number of civilians seeking refuge in the city, which Israel had designated as a “safe zone” and instructed them to evacuate.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, spoke to reporters on Thursday. He stated that the White House “would not support” such an operation. A spokesperson for the Department of State made a statement regarding Tel Aviv’s actions. They said such a move appears to have “little thought and no planning.” Kirby further emphasised that Rafah was a critical entry point for humanitarian aid.
President Joe Biden of the United States told reporters that Israel’s actions in Gaza have been “excessive.”
US Sets Aid Conditions Amid Crisis
The Biden administration stated that it had issued a memorandum outlining the requirements for nations receiving US military assistance.
While the memorandum does not delineate novel guidelines, it makes a specific request. It asks that countries provide written assurances to the State Department that they will adhere to existing US standards. It also mandates that the United States government provide Congress with an annual report. For the first time, this report will detail whether or not countries are complying with these requirements.
Following Israel’s killing of approximately 28,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were children and women, and extensive destruction of the Gaza Strip, the memorandum was formulated.
The New York Times cited unidentified senior US army intelligence officers as saying that Israel has killed only one-third of Hamas fighters, which is far below the “total victory” objective it has declared for the Palestinian organisation, in a report on Friday.
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An Israeli incursion into Rafah, according to a post by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on X, would “increase exponentially what is already a humanitarian nightmare with unfathomable regional repercussions.”
Additionally, the organisation’s agency for children, UNICEF, issued a warning. Over 600,000 children and their families have been forcibly transferred to Rafah, often multiple times.
Fragile Ceasefire Talks Continue
Egypt, Qatar, and the US have mediated Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks without success.
Israel rejected Hamas’ demands for a cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza this week. Hamas had proposed an agreement that would have additionally entailed an exchange of prisoners and increased aid into the Strip.
Rafah is situated along the closed border between the Palestinian territory and Egypt, which also serves as the primary point of entry for the meagre humanitarian assistance that manages to reach the Gaza Strip via rigorous Israeli inspections. A major Palestinian exodus or ground operation in Sinai would jeopardize Cairo’s 40-year-old peace deal with Israel.
