Israeli forces intensify Rafah offensive, 17 dead in refugee camps
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On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 17 Palestinians in Gaza Strip's historic refugee camps, while Israeli tanks advanced deeper into Rafah, a southern city of the enclave.
Residents and medical personnel reported heavy bombardments from tanks and planes across various regions of Rafah, where over a million people had initially sought refuge before May. Since then, most have fled northwards following the city's invasion by Israeli forces.
A Rafah resident, speaking to Reuters via a chat app, expressed distress over the lack of international intervention, saying, "Rafah is being bombed without any intervention from the world, the occupation (Israel) is acting freely here."
Israeli tanks were reported to be operating within Tel Al-Sultan, Al-Izba, and Zurub areas in western Rafah, as well as Shaboura in the city's center. They also maintained positions in the eastern neighborhoods and outskirts, including the crucial border with Egypt and the Rafah border crossing.
The same resident noted that while there was significant resistance against Israeli forces, resulting in heavy casualties, the Israeli military's actions were causing extensive destruction to the city and refugee camps.
Palestinian health officials reported that a man was killed by Israeli fire on Rafah's eastern side in the morning. Medics indicated that many others might have been killed in recent days and weeks, but rescue teams could not reach them.
The Israeli military claimed it was conducting "precise, intelligence-based activity" in Rafah, reporting the killing of numerous Palestinian gunmen in close-range combat and the seizure of weapons. Additionally, the air force targeted dozens of locations across the Gaza Strip over the past day.
In central Gaza, separate Israeli airstrikes on two houses in Al-Nuseirat and Al-Bureij refugee camps resulted in 17 deaths, according to medics. These camps house families and descendants of those who fled to Gaza during the 1948 war around Israel's creation.
The Israeli military did not directly comment on the 17 deaths but stated that operations against factions in central Gaza were ongoing. They reported killing an Islamic Jihad sniper cell commander and eliminating a militant cell.
The ongoing offensive has devastated Gaza, with over 37,400 deaths reported by health authorities, leaving much of the population homeless and destitute.
