February 09, 2024
Israel has stepped up airstrikes on the Rafah safe zone, along with preparations for ground operations.
Israel's move comes as the United Nations has warned of catastrophic consequences for displaced Palestinians from extending the war to Rafah, while the US has said the attack in southern Gaza would be a tragedy.
On February 8 and 9, the Israeli army carried out aerial bombardment and tank shelling in different parts of Rafah.
According to the Palestinian news agency, at least 8 Palestinians, including 3 children, have been martyred as a result of these attacks on February 9.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other top officials are planning to extend the war in Gaza to Rafah, where millions of displaced Palestinians have taken refuge.
The United States, Israel's main ally and financial and military supporter for the Gaza war, warned of a large-scale attack in Rafah, saying it would be nothing short of a tragedy, as a large number of civilians have taken refuge there. are
Rafah is an area that Israel has declared a safe zone and has instructed civilians to take refuge there.
The Biden administration said that we have issued a memorandum that sets out the rules for countries that receive US military aid.
These rules are not new, but it is the first time the US government has submitted an annual report to Congress detailing the extent to which aid recipient countries are complying with the conditions.
This memorandum has been issued after Israel has martyred 28,000 Palestinian citizens, most of whom are women and children, while the Gaza Strip has been reduced to ruins.
A spokesman for the US National Security Council told the media that the White House would not support the operation on Rafah, while a spokesman for the Department of the Spokesperson said that it appears that the move by Israel is not supported. Not planned.
The spokesperson said that Rafah is the most important entry point for humanitarian aid.
On the other hand, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said in a post on AX (the new name of Twitter) that the Israeli attacks on Rafah will increase the intensity of the human tragedy.
Half of Gaza’s population is now crammed into Rafah with nowhere to go.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 8, 2024
Reports that the Israeli military intends to focus next on Rafah are alarming.
Such an action would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences.
It should be noted that the attack on Rafah has been planned by Israel after it has rejected the ceasefire proposals from Hamas.
Proposals for a cease-fire agreement were made by Hamas following mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt.