Tel Aviv: Israel has announced its intention to proceed with a ground incursion into Gaza's Rafah, where over a million displaced individuals have taken refuge during the ongoing conflict with Palestine.
The Israeli military has urged Palestinians in additional areas of Rafah to evacuate and relocate to what it describes as an expanded humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi.
This move signifies the military's determination to advance its plans for a ground assault on Rafah. A military spokesperson posted on the social media platform X, urging residents and displaced persons in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, along with 11 other neighborhoods in the enclave, to immediately seek shelter west of Gaza City.
Overnight airstrikes by Israeli jets in central Gaza resulted in the reported deaths of 24 Palestinians, as per the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Despite substantial pressure from the United States and concerns expressed by residents and humanitarian organizations, Israel remains committed to its incursion into Rafah, where a significant portion of Gaza's population has sought refuge over the course of the seven-month conflict. Israel's military reports that approximately 300,000 Gazans have already relocated towards Al-Mawasi.
Stating the necessity to eliminate what it perceives as thousands of militant fighters entrenched in Rafah, Israel has seized control of the main road dividing the city's eastern and western sectors. This maneuver effectively encircles the eastern side of Rafah and has prompted the US to delay the delivery of certain military aid to its ally. The White House acknowledged its concern over the Israeli operations, characterizing them as localized around the closed Rafah crossing and not indicative of a large-scale invasion of the city.
The conflict was intensified by a Hamas attack on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the capture of more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Israel's military campaign in Gaza, aimed at eradicating militant elements, has led to the deaths of nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.
The relentless bombardment has devastated the coastal enclave, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
In its strongest rebuke of Israel yet, the Biden administration declared on Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-supplied weapons may have breached international humanitarian law during its Gaza operation. However, the administration refrained from making a definitive assessment, citing the chaotic nature of the conflict and its inability to verify specific instances where such weapons might have been involved in alleged violations.