Israel proceeds towards Rafah's central area.
Israeli forces report progress in Rafah: soldiers have entered the Shabura area, just outside the center of the final undamaged city in the Gaza Strip. However, they have no plans to launch a full-scale assault on the town, a military spokesperson confirms.
As stated by the Israeli army, their operations continue against the Islamist Hamas in Rafah, which is located in the southern Gaza Strip. Spokesperson Daniel Hagari revealed that their ground troops have now made it to the Shabura area, where Hamas fighters were previously advancing. "We have already eliminated over 180 terrorists in Rafah," he added.
At the same time, Hagari confirmed that they had dismantled launchers and rockets set to strike Israeli territory, as well as destroyed tunnel shafts and underground passages. Their efforts to locate more such passages continue. "Our ground operation is quite intense and resolute, with challenging battles taking place in difficult terrains," Hagari explained further.
On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will deliver a verdict on South Africa's demand that the Israeli military immediately withdraw from Rafah. South Africa filed an urgent request for this on May 10. The Court's decisions are legally binding; however, they cannot directly enforce their own judgments. They can, however, appeal to the UN Security Council to take appropriate action. Israel's incursion began on May 6 in eastern Rafah. "We are not attacking Rafah, but rather operating with caution and precision," Hagari reiterated.
US: Monitor the events closely
Israel aims to crush the remaining Hamas militants in Rafah. With Israel's calls for evacuation, approximately one million civilians have now left the city. The United States, as Israel's key ally, recently stated that the ongoing military operations in Rafah had yet to reach the size initially warned by the US government. The US is against a large-scale Israeli ground offensive in Rafah.
US President Joe Biden's security advisor, Jake Sullivan, said: "Previously, Israeli campaigns have been more precise and limited, without involving major military operations in densely populated urban areas." "We should now wait and see how the situation progresses," concluded Sullivan. Having reached Shabura, the army is now engaged in fighting close to the city center of Rafah. Since the start of the conflict nearly eight months ago, Rafah has been the last unblasted city in the Gaza Strip.
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The Gaza Strip's southern city of Rafah is the focus of ongoing operations by the Israeli military, targeting Hamas militants. The USA, as a key ally of Israel, is closely monitoring the situation and has expressed opposition to a large-scale Israeli ground offensive in Rafah. Despite the USA's stance, Israeli forces have made significant progress, with troops now located in the Shabura area, just outside the city center.
Source: www.ntv.de
