The Israeli military is now present in the heart of Rafah.
The Israeli military is actively operating in the heart of Gaza City's southern region, disregarding international condemnation over their tactics in Rafah. On Friday, the army confirmed the discovery of rocket launchers, tunnels, and various Hamas weaponry. They also demolished an Islamist weapon's cache in the area.
Local observers have noted the presence of tanks in the urban center on Tuesday, a lack of which was evident prior to this.
Previously in early May, Israeli troops pushed into Rafah's residential districts. Per their own accounts, they claimed to have captured the border zone with Egypt. Residents corroborated this information.
The military presence in Rafah has drawn widespread backlash across the globe. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) urged Israel one week earlier to halt the ongoing military operations in Rafah immediately. The court stated, "No measures should be taken that could lead to the complete or partial destruction of the Palestinian population in Gaza." The UN court did not call for a weapons standstill in Gaza, but such decisions lack enforceability without the capacity to force a state to comply.
Read also:
Despite the international criticism, the Israeli army continues to utilize the center of Rafah, ignoring the condemnation. The army's recent discovery and destruction of Hamas weapons in Rafah have been met with controversy. Regardless of this criticism, tanks have been observed in the urban center of Rafah by local observers.
