Israel kills 45 Palestinians in Rafah amid truce talks

Israeli forces conducted intense operations in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 Palestinians.

These attacks occurred as Israeli troops engaged in close-quarter combat with Hamas operatives, according to residents and military sources.

Residents of Rafah reported that the Israeli military seemed determined to capture the entire city, which borders Egypt and has been a focal point of Israeli assaults since early May. Tanks have advanced into the western and northern parts of Rafah, having already taken control of the eastern, southern, and central areas, reported Reuters.

Heavy bombardment from planes, tanks, and naval ships has forced more residents to flee Rafah, which was previously a refuge for over a million displaced people. The Gaza health ministry confirmed that 25 Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded in the Mawasi area of western Rafah, with reports of a tank shell hitting a tent housing displaced families.

The Israeli military is currently reviewing the incident, stating, "An initial inquiry conducted suggests that there is no indication that a strike was carried out by the IDF in the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi."

The military has emphasized that their operations in Rafah are "precise, intelligence-based," involving the discovery of Hamas tunnels and targeting key locations, including a university used as a Hamas headquarters. Additionally, in central Gaza's Nusseirat area, soldiers reportedly killed dozens of Hamas operatives and uncovered a weapons depot.

The intensity of the Israeli onslaught on Rafah has escalated over the past two days, with constant sounds of explosions and gunfire, according to residents.

Israeli forces are now focusing their advance on Rafah and Deir al-Balah, the last major areas in Gaza yet to be seized. Rafah's mayor, Ahmed Al-Sofi, described the situation as a "humanitarian catastrophe," with no functioning medical facilities and severe shortages of food and water for the remaining residents.

In nearby Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike killed three people, including a father and son. Meanwhile, Israeli forces are also pushing into Gaza City suburbs, where they clashed with Hamas operatives. An airstrike on a Gaza City municipal facility killed five people, including four municipal workers. Another strike on a house in the Beach camp resulted in at least seven deaths.

Overall, Palestinian health officials reported at least 45 fatalities from Israeli strikes across Gaza on Friday. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) noted that its Gaza office was damaged by heavy-caliber projectiles, highlighting the danger to both humanitarians and civilians.

The ongoing Israeli campaign has devastated Gaza, killing more than 37,400 people according to Palestinian health authorities and leaving the population homeless and destitute.