Israeli tanks push displaced civilians in Rafah
Published: 05:05 PM,May 14,2024 | EDITED : 09:05 PM,May 14,2024
Palestinians sit at their house which was destroyed in an Israeli strike, in Khan Younis. — Reuters
CAIRO: Israeli tanks forged deeper into eastern Rafah on Tuesday, reaching some residential districts of the southern border city where more than a million people had been sheltering after being displaced in seven months of war.
Israel's international allies and aid groups have repeatedly urged against a ground incursion into refugee-packed Rafah, warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel has vowed to press on into Rafah even without the support of allies, saying its operation is necessary to root out four remaining groups battalions holed up in the city.
'The tanks advanced this morning west of Salahuddin Road. They are in the streets inside the built-up area and there are clashes,' one resident said. Video on social media showed one tank on George Street in Al Jneina neighbourhood.
Palestinian movement armed wing said it had destroyed an Israeli troop carrier with an Al Yassin 105 missile in the eastern Al Salam neighbourhood, killing some crew members and wounding others. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report.
In a round-up of its activities, the IDF said its forces had eliminated several armed Palestinians cells in close-quarter fighting on the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. In the east of the city, it said it had also destroyed cells and a launch post from where missiles were being fired at IDF troops.
Israel issued evacuation orders for people to move from parts of eastern Rafah a week ago, with a second round of orders extending to further zones on Saturday.
They are moving to empty tracts of land, including Al Mawasi, a sandy strip bordering the coast that aid agencies have warned lacks sanitary and other facilities to host an influx of displaced people.
UNRWA, the main United Nations aid agency in Gaza, estimates some 450,000 people have fled Rafah since May 6. 'People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe,' the agency posted on X.
Fighting across the strip has intensified in recent days, including in the north, with the Israeli military heading back into areas where it had claimed to have dismantled groups months ago. Israel says the operations are to prevent them, which controls Gaza, from rebuilding military capacities.
The Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 35,000, according to Gaza health officials. It said that 82 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, the highest death toll in a single day in many weeks. — Reuters
Israel's international allies and aid groups have repeatedly urged against a ground incursion into refugee-packed Rafah, warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel has vowed to press on into Rafah even without the support of allies, saying its operation is necessary to root out four remaining groups battalions holed up in the city.
'The tanks advanced this morning west of Salahuddin Road. They are in the streets inside the built-up area and there are clashes,' one resident said. Video on social media showed one tank on George Street in Al Jneina neighbourhood.
Palestinian movement armed wing said it had destroyed an Israeli troop carrier with an Al Yassin 105 missile in the eastern Al Salam neighbourhood, killing some crew members and wounding others. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report.
In a round-up of its activities, the IDF said its forces had eliminated several armed Palestinians cells in close-quarter fighting on the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. In the east of the city, it said it had also destroyed cells and a launch post from where missiles were being fired at IDF troops.
Israel issued evacuation orders for people to move from parts of eastern Rafah a week ago, with a second round of orders extending to further zones on Saturday.
They are moving to empty tracts of land, including Al Mawasi, a sandy strip bordering the coast that aid agencies have warned lacks sanitary and other facilities to host an influx of displaced people.
UNRWA, the main United Nations aid agency in Gaza, estimates some 450,000 people have fled Rafah since May 6. 'People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe,' the agency posted on X.
Fighting across the strip has intensified in recent days, including in the north, with the Israeli military heading back into areas where it had claimed to have dismantled groups months ago. Israel says the operations are to prevent them, which controls Gaza, from rebuilding military capacities.
The Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 35,000, according to Gaza health officials. It said that 82 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, the highest death toll in a single day in many weeks. — Reuters