Some 450,000 people have fled Rafah since the start of Israel’s military operation in that citywhere the tanks penetrated western neighborhoods this Tuesday, while their offensive intensifies in Yabaliain the north of the Strip, where he ordered evacuations in more areas.
“The streets are empty in Rafah and families are fleeing for safety. “People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear,” said the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
“No place is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope,” the agency indicated about the situation in that city, which until a week ago was home to 1.4 million people.
The city, on the border with Egypt, has been suffering intense aerial and artillery bombardment since dawn, while Israeli tanks advance west towards the center of the city, entering the neighborhoods of Geneina, Salam and Brazil.
The tanks have crossed the threshold of the Salah al Din roadwhich divides the city into eastern and western halvesand there are clashes with Palestinian militias in the urbanized area of Rafah, witnesses confirmed to EFE.
“Israel Defense Forces troops eliminated several armed terrorist cells in hand-to-hand combat on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing,” said a statement from the Israeli Army, which a week ago took control of the Palestinian part of that crossing. step and since then no humanitarian aid has entered there.
The al-Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas terrorist group, reported their artillery attacks against Israeli troops stationed at the Rafah crossing, which connects with Egypt, and against an infantry convoy in the Salam neighborhood with a missile. Yasin 105.
This Tuesday, Israeli troops expanded their activity with “selective operations against terrorist targets” in Jabalia, where “numerous battles were fought, artillery tanks eliminated dozens of terrorists and a network of explosives was dismantled,” said the Army, which requested the evacuation of two new neighborhoods, Atatra and Salatin.
“Hamas and other terrorist organizations use that area for terrorist activities and to launch rockets into Israeli territory.so we will act urgently and forcefully,” indicated the Army notice to the population.
Israel resumed its military activity in Jabalia on Sunday due to the return and regrouping of the Hamas terrorist in that area of the northern Strip, where it already undertook a tough offensive in October, at the beginning of the war.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused at least 82 deaths and 234 injuries in the last 24 hours, daily figures significantly higher than those recorded in recent weeks.
Since the start of the war on October 7, The deaths amount to 35,173 dead – more than 70% civilians – and 79,061 injuredaccording to the count of the Ministry of Health of the enclave, controlled by Hamas, which estimates that there are 10,000 bodies trapped under the rubble.
According to Israel, of those killed, some 15,000 are Hamas terrorists.
Palestinian medical services also reported an Israeli airstrike against a family home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the center of the Strip, where dozens of people were taking refuge. Twenty died.
Rescue services say there are still bodies under the rubble but that ambulances cannot reach them.
In Nuseirat Israeli aircraft also bombed a UNRWA school with displaced people, causing a fire, according to Palestinian media. This was confirmed by the Israeli Army, which indicated that a Hamas war room was hidden there and that fifteen combatants were eliminated.
“The attack was carried out using precise munitions to minimize damage to uninvolved civilians,” said a military statement about that “war room,” which they say was used by commanders of the elite Hamas force. Nukhbato plan attacks and ambushes against troops in Gaza.
The eliminated commanders participated in planning the October 7 attacks, which killed about 1,200 Israelis, the Israeli military said.
Regarding the attack on Monday against a United Nations vehicle in Rafah, a military spokesman told today EFE that it was an “active combat zone,” and that the Army was not aware of the vehicle’s route.
An international worker from the UN Department of Safety and Security was killed yesterday, and another was injured, in an attack on a United Nations vehicle near the Rafah crossing, an area controlled by Israeli troops.
(With information from EFE)
