Israeli tanks move towards the heart of Rafah.
Israel is continuing its strikes on the Hamas military in the city of Rafah, located on the border with Egypt. The bombings have been ongoing for weeks, despite criticism from the international community. Air raids took place in the western part of the city on Tuesday night.
Faten Juda, a 30-year-old woman, spoke to AFP and expressed her fear and desperation. "We couldn't sleep all night. There were bombings from every direction," she said. Her family is struggling to stay safe and may be forced to leave the area again.
On Monday night, there was a deadly Israeli air strike on a UNRWA refugee camp near Rafah. The health ministry controlled by Hamas reported that 45 people were killed and over 240 were injured. The camp caught on fire as a result of the bombing, leaving behind "burned and dismembered corpses", according to the Palestinian Civil Defense. This incident sparked outrage around the world.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, described the situation as "hell on earth." United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack, saying "the horror must stop." The UN Security Council held an emergency session to address the situation.
Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed sorrow for the deaths of the civilian casualties in Rafah. "We've evacuated over a million bystanders in Rafah," he stated to the parliament in Jerusalem. "Despite our efforts, it has turned into a tragic accident." He further said, "We'll investigate the case and learn from it."
Israel's bombings of Rafah followed a major rocket attack from the city, which affected Tel Aviv and central Israel for the first time in months.
The conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas has been going on for more than seven months. In October, Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing over 1170 people as per Israeli data. There were also 252 hostages taken in the Gaza Strip.
In response to the unexpected attack, Israel has been carrying out large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip. The Ministry of Health under Hamas' control stated that over 36,000 had been killed since the beginning of the attacks.
As Israel increased its attacks on Rafah in early May, many Palestinians sought refuge from the conflict in the city. The UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency announced that one million people had left Rafah because of the Israeli military's intensified attacks.
So far, Hamas has been fighting Israel and over 36,000 people have been killed, according to the Ministry of Health controlled by Hamas. This number cannot be independently verified. Additionally, many Palestinians have fled Rafah for safety after the Israeli offensive escalated in May.
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- The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the escalating situation in Rafah, with Israeli tanks moving towards the center of the city.
- The UN and various international organizations, including UNRWA, have expressed concern over the impact of the Israeli-Hamas conflict on civilians in the Gaza Strip, with Rafah being a major focal point.
- During a press conference, the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, described the situation in Rafah as "horrific" and called for an immediate ceasefire.
- Egyptian officials have expressed their concern over the situation in Rafah, with the Egyptian border town of Rafah witnessing a large influx of Palestinians seeking refuge from the conflict.
- The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has urged both Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities and to protect civilians, stating that "there can be no justification for civilian deaths or injuries."
- As the UN and international community call for an end to the violence, Hamas and Israeli tanks continue to clash, raising tensions in the region and increasing fears of a wider conflict.
Source: www.stern.de
