Israel increases bombardment of Rafah, is the advance imminent?

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official said late Thursday that the latest talks in Cairo on a Gaza ceasefire had ended in a stalemate, meaning Israel would continue operations in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned.

A bombed site in Rafah, Gaza on May 8, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, Mr. Netanyahu said about the possibility that the US could cut military aid to Israel if it attacked Rafah: “If so, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have more than our fingernails."

Meanwhile, the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their fighters fired anti-tank missiles and mortars at Israeli tanks massing on the outskirts of Rafah.

Residents and medical workers in Rafah, the largest urban area in Gaza not occupied by Israeli ground forces, said an Israeli air strike near a mosque killed at least three people and wounded others in the eastern part of the territory.

Israeli tanks and other heavy military equipment have approached the city of Rafah, and could enter the city at any time. Photo: AFP

Video from the scene showed the minaret lying in ruins and two bodies wrapped in blankets. Another Israeli air strike on two homes in the Sabra neighborhood of Rafah killed at least 12 people, including women and children.

Among those killed were a senior commander of the Al-Mujahedeen rebel brigades and his family, as well as the family of another leader of the group, according to doctors and the group.

Israel says Hamas militants are hiding in Rafah, whose population has swelled to more than 1 million after Palestinians fled war that left much of Gaza in ruins.

Israeli armed forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the Israeli army has all the necessary weapons for the operation in Rafah. Currently, a large number of Israeli tanks and troops are close to the Rafah border, and can advance into this city at any time.

Bui Huy (according to Reuters, AFP, CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-tang-cuong-ban-pha-rafah-dam-phan-be-tac-va-cuoc-tien-quan-sap-dien-ra-post294890.html