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The Israeli military said on Friday that its forces had advanced into central Rafah, pushing deeper into the southern Gaza city, despite strong international opposition and pressure from allies to scale back its latest offensive.
The Israeli military said in a statement that Israeli commandos supported by tanks and artillery were operating in central Rafah, but did not specify where. On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had established “operational control” along the border with Egypt, an eight-mile stretch known as the Philadelphia Corridor on the outskirts of Rafah.
According to the United Nations, more than one million Palestinians in Rafah, about half the territory’s population, have fled the Israeli offensive in the past few weeks, with many being displaced for the second or third time in the conflict. . In late October, Israel ordered a mass evacuation from northern Gaza, causing the city’s population to swell to 1.4 million, before many people sought asylum there.
Israel continues its offensive in Rafah despite concerns from close allies such as the United States for the safety of displaced Palestinians and other civilians taking refuge there. Israeli officials say they cannot defeat Hamas in Gaza without rooting out its presence in Gaza and dismantling the network of cross-border tunnels the group uses to smuggle ammunition and other supplies from neighboring Egypt.
But the attack deepened the suffering of many ordinary Palestinians. An Israeli attack killed at least 45 people on Sunday, according to health officials in Gaza. The Israeli military said the bombing targeted two Hamas commanders but also inadvertently started fires in nearby areas where civilians were taking refuge.
Last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah, warning it would cause irreparable harm to civilians, although some judges wrote that Israel could still conduct some military operations there. Despite the pressure, the Israeli military continued the operation, describing its Rafah operation as limited and precise.
Commercial satellite images captured by Planet Labs on Thursday showed that the Israeli military has set up positions in parts of central Rafah, while military vehicles and tanks can even be seen on the outskirts of the Tel al-Sultan area west of Rafah.
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Much of eastern Rafah has been devastated since the offensive began in early May, particularly around the border crossing with Egypt, according to satellite photos on May 22. French border crossing, which marked the beginning of their attack in the area.
Source: Satellite imagery from Planet Labs
Amid widespread poverty and hunger, the Rafah crossing has become an important conduit for humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is also the main gateway for Gaza’s injured residents to escape the fighting and receive emergency medical care.
Israeli officials say the gateway is a central part of Hamas’ smuggling operations into the enclave, which has been under a strict blockade by Israel and Egypt since the Palestinian armed group took control of Gaza by force in 2007.
The crossing has been closed since it was occupied by Israeli forces, with Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian officials unable to reach an agreement to resume operations there.
Under pressure from the United States, Egypt this week began moving some aid trucks to another crossing point, the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom, in an attempt to ease a sharp reduction in aid entering Gaza.
