RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israeli forces advanced deep into Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Sunday, fighting Hamas in parts of the devastated north, the military said. It was cleared months ago But where the militants reunited.
Rafah is considered Hamas' last stronghold. It is also the last refuge in Gaza for more than 1 million civilians. Approximately 300,000 people were ordered to evacuate Israel, which stated that Israel must invade to dismantle Hamas and return the large number of hostages taken in the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war. Palestinians have been evacuated from the city.
Neighboring Egypt has issued its strongest protest yet against the Rafah attack and said it intends to formally join South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice. Claims that Israel is committing genocide The Gaza Strip is rejected by Israel. A Foreign Ministry statement noted the “deteriorating severity and scope of Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians.”
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement that he did not see how a full-scale invasion of Rafah would be consistent with international humanitarian law.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his opposition to a major military attack on Rafah, saying that without an evacuation from Gaza and a post-war governance plan, Israel “will remain responsible for an enduring insurgency.” told CBS.
Gaza has been left without a functioning government, leading to a collapse of security and allowing Hamas militants to reestablish themselves even in the hardest-hit areas. Hamas on Sunday advertised attacks against Israeli soldiers in Rafah and near Gaza City.
Israel has not yet presented detailed plans for post-war governance of the Gaza Strip, saying only that it “will do so.” Maintain unlimited security control Over the enclave, home to approximately 2.3 million Palestinians.
Talks over an internationally brokered ceasefire and the release of the hostages appeared to be at an impasse.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is anniversary In his speech, he commemorated those who died in the war and vowed to continue fighting until victory.
Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected a postwar plan proposed by the United States in which the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, would rule Gaza with support from Arab and Islamic countries. those plans It depends on progress toward establishing a Palestinian state, which the Israeli government opposes.
of October 7th The attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took an additional 250 hostages. The insurgents still hold about 100 prisoners and more than 30 bodies.
Israeli air, land and sea attacks have killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, but the ministry's statistics show that only civilians and combatants have died. There is no distinction between Israel claims, without providing evidence, that it has killed more than 13,000 militants.
heavy bombardment in the north
Palestinians reported heavy Israeli shelling throughout the night in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp and other areas in northern Gaza. The Gaza Strip has been largely isolated by Israeli forces for several months. According to UN officials, “Full-scale starvation” There.
Israeli warplanes and artillery attacked the camp and the Zeitoun area east of Gaza City, where troops have been fighting insurgents for more than a week, residents said. They called on tens of thousands of people to move to nearby areas.
Palestinians displaced by Israeli air and ground attacks arrive at a makeshift tent camp west of Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“It was a very tough night,” said Abdelkareem Radwan, 48, from Jabaliya. Heavy and continuous bombing could be heard from noon on Saturday. “This is madness.”
First responders from the Palestinian Civil Defense Agency said they were unable to respond to multiple calls for help from both areas and from Rafah.
Major General Daniel Hagari, Israel's top military spokesman, said troops were also operating in the northern towns of Beit Rahiya and Beit Hanoun, which were heavily bombed early in the war.
Hamas' military wing said it shelled Israeli special forces east of Jabaliya and fired mortar shells at troops and vehicles entering the Rafah border crossing.
“We cannot overthrow the Hamas regime unless we provide an alternative to it,” columnist Ben Caspit wrote in the Israeli daily Marib. Growing dissatisfaction felt by many Israelis It has been more than seven months since the war began. “The only people who can govern Gaza after the war are the Gazans, who have significant support and assistance from outside.”
Civilians evacuating to the south
Israel is currently evacuating 1.3 million Palestinians from the eastern third of Rafah, most of whom had fled fighting elsewhere. Most people go to The nearby city of Khan Yunis was heavily damaged. Already, about 450,000 people are living in squalid conditions in tent camps along the coast called Mwasi.
The United Nations believes that a planned full-scale invasion will further paralyze humanitarian operations And the number of civilian deaths skyrockets.
Major aid entry points near Rafah have already been affected. The Israeli army is occupied the Gaza side The Rafah intersection was closed. Egypt is refusing to coordinate with Israel on the delivery of aid across the border, citing “unacceptable Israeli escalation,” the state-run Al-Kahela news channel reported.
A senior Egyptian official told The Associated Press that Cairo had lodged a protest with Israeli, U.S. and European governments, saying the attack had harmed Egypt's interests. Decades of peace treaty with Israel Although it is the cornerstone of regional stability, it is exposed to high risks. The official was not authorized to brief the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
US President Joe Biden says he will not provide offensive weapons to Israel because of Rafah, insisting his administration is “reasonable” Evidence that Israel violated international law To protect civilians.
Israel rejects these claims, saying it is seeking to avoid harm to civilians. Hamas blames the high death toll because the militants are fighting in densely populated residential areas.
In the West Bank of the Jordan River, deadly violence increased Since the war began, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has announced that a man has been shot dead by Israeli forces in Nablus' Balata refugee camp. The military said it responded with live ammunition after coming under fire from militants inside the camp.
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Klaus reported from Jerusalem and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writer Jack Jeffrey in Jerusalem contributed.
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