JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to develop a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah, ahead of a potential Israeli invasion of the densely populated southern Gaza city. The decision follows criticism from various countries, including the U.S., regarding Israeli intentions to deploy ground forces into the city that shares a border with Egypt. Rafah, with a prewar population of about 280,000, has now accommodated an additional 1.4 million people, living with relatives, in shelters, or in sprawling tent camps after fleeing conflicts elsewhere in Gaza. Israel views Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza after over four months of war.
According to Netanyahu’s office, leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah would hinder the goal of eliminating Hamas. It emphasized the necessity of civilians evacuating combat areas and instructed the military and security officials to develop a comprehensive plan that involves mass civilian evacuation and the targeting of Hamas forces in the city.
The conflict began after several thousand Hamas militants crossed the border into southern Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in the death of 1,200 people and the taking of 250 others as hostages. An Israeli air and ground offensive has caused the death of roughly 28,000 Palestinians, mainly women and minors, as reported by local health officials. Approximately 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have been displaced, and the region is facing a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food and medical services. Netanyahu has largely dismissed international criticism of the civilian casualties, attributing it to Hamas’s practice of operating and hiding in residential areas. However, the criticism has intensified in recent days as Netanyahu and other leaders express their intentions to advance into Rafah.
U.S. President Joe Biden remarked that Israel’s conduct in the war is “over the top,” marking the most severe criticism from the U.S. against its close ally. The State Department commented that an invasion of Rafah under the current circumstances “would be a disaster.” The operation presents several challenges as it remains uncertain where civilians can seek refuge. The Israeli offensive has caused extensive destruction, particularly in northern Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands without homes to return to. In addition, Egypt has cautioned that any movement of Palestinians across the border into Egypt would jeopardize the four-decade-old peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. The Gaza-Egypt border crossing, mainly closed, serves as the primary entry point for humanitarian aid. Israel has already initiated airstrikes on Rafah. Overnight and into Friday, airstrikes targeted two residential buildings in Rafah and two other sites in central Gaza, including a kindergarten-turned-shelter for displaced Palestinians. According to AP journalists, twenty-two people were killed, and their bodies were taken to hospitals.
GROWING FRUSTRATIONRecent comments from top U.S. officials about Rafah signify increasing tension with Netanyahu following a visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken, who has been working with Egypt and Qatar to mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, departed the region Thursday without reaching an agreement. However, he expressed belief in the potential for a deal that would involve an extended pause in fighting in exchange for the release of many of the more than 100 hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu appeared to disregard Blinken’s efforts, stating that he will only settle for “total victory.” The Israeli leader stated that the war aims to dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and secure the safe return of all hostages. With Blinken still in the region, Netanyahu stressed the necessity of an operation in Rafah. Vedant Patel, a spokesperson for the State Department, remarked that proceeding with such an offensive “with no planning and little consideration in an area where a million people are sheltering would be a disaster.”John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesperson, expressed that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah is “not something we would support.” Aid agency officials have also issued warnings about the potential impact of an offensive in Rafah. “We need Gaza’s last remaining hospitals, shelters, markets, and water systems to stay functional,” said Catherine Russell, head of the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF. “Without them, hunger and disease will skyrocket, taking more child lives.”
With the war now in its fifth month, Israeli ground forces are still focused on the city of Khan Younis, just north of Rafah. However, Netanyahu has reiterated that Rafah will be the next target, causing panic among hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
Palestinian women react after their home was hit by an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
OVERNIGHT AIRSTRIKESEarly Friday, a residential building near Rafah’s Kuwaiti Hospital was hit, leading to the deaths of five people from the al-Sayed family, including three children and a woman. Another strike in Rafah claimed three more lives. An overnight strike in the central town of Deir al-Balah resulted in nine casualties. In central Gaza, a strike near a kindergarten-turned-shelter caused five deaths and several injuries. Witnesses reported that shelter residents were sleeping at the time.
As a woman arrived at the local Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital carrying a small girl, she expressed distress, blaming the “coward Zionist enemy” for choosing innocent civilians as targets. Some of the wounded children were treated while lying on the floor.
Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
EFFORTS FOR A CEASE-FIREIsrael’s 4-month-old air and ground offensive, considered one of the most devastating in recent history, has caused the death of 27,947 Palestinians and injured over 67,000, as reported by local health officials on Friday. The war has forced most people out of their homes and has pushed a quarter of the population toward starvation, according to the U.N.Biden stated that he continues to work persistently to urge Israel and Hamas to agree on an extended pause in fighting. Netanyahu has dismissed Hamas’ demands for a hostage deal, including an end to the war and the release of hundreds of veteran Palestinian prisoners serving lengthy sentences in Israel for deadly attacks. Netanyahu disregarded Hamas’ demands as unrealistic, while Blinken indicated the potential for ongoing negotiations, facilitated by Egypt and Qatar. Israel’s war objectives are increasingly difficult to achieve, as Hamas reappears in parts of northern Gaza, which was the initial target of the offensive and has experienced widespread destruction. Israel has only rescued one hostage, while Hamas claims that several have been killed in airstrikes or unsuccessful rescue missions.
