Israel launches operation on Rafah with orders to evacuate refugees and a round of bombardment | International

The threat manu militari of Israel to persuade Gazans to leave Rafah, where about 1.5 million people have gathered – more than half of Gaza's population – arrived this Monday: “Everyone close to terrorist organizations states that “His life and that of his family are in danger,” reads one of the pamphlets distributed among the population. “For your safety, the military asks you to evacuate immediately [la zona en la que viven en la actualidad]”, Add. The bombing of civilians, which does not stop, is accompanied by the order of the armed forces, which has been announced for weeks, and which is coordinated with the Israeli government and which has rarely taken place. Hours later, negotiations to reach a ceasefire failed for the umpteenth time.

Preparations for the invasion of this area, the only city in the Gaza Strip that the Israeli army has not yet invaded with ground troops, are developing despite the warnings of the international community. Leading these calls are the main allies, the United States, the UN and the humanitarian organizations deployed on the ground. Hamas has already said that Rafah “will not be a picnic” for the invading forces.

The ceasefire was discussed in recent days, according to information emerging from both sides, but it was ultimately Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who botched those negotiations. His statements throughout the weekend when pressed Invade Rafah According to Hamas, Hamas has hardened its position The New York Times, which cites official Israeli sources. The fundamentalist group attacked Israeli territory on Sunday, killing at least four soldiers, hours before negotiations concluded.

In a new rollercoaster of expectations, Hamas announced on Monday afternoon that it would accept the ceasefire proposal from Qatar and Egypt. Israeli authorities coolly welcomed this proposal and said they would study it. Netanyahu announced late in the day that he would send a delegation to Cairo, although he added that he is maintaining his plan in Rafah to pressure the Palestinian militia to hand over the prisoners. An Israeli official said it was a “watered down” version of an Egyptian proposal that contained conclusions the Jewish state could not accept.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant had said that “there is no other option” but to launch the Rafah operation, communicating this in a phone call with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In another call on Monday afternoon, US President Joe Biden reiterated to Netanyahu that he still does not support the military operation against Rafah as Israel has still not presented a “credible” plan to protect Palestinians in the south from Gaza. Despite its repeated demands, Washington admits that at no time has its ally presented any measure to protect lives or guarantee access for humanitarian aid, reports Macarena Vidal Liy.

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“Israel has agreed to significant concessions to bring the hostages home, but Hamas has repeatedly refused,” the head of Israeli diplomacy, Israel Katz, said on his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter). He added that “everyone understands that Sinwar does not intend to release all the hostages, even in exchange for everything.” Yahia Sinwar, top leader of the fundamentalist group in Gaza, is accused by Israel of masterminding the October 7 attack. He is also often designated as the commander who has the final say when it comes to concluding agreements such as the armistice.

“An Israeli offensive on Rafah would mean more civilian suffering and deaths. The consequences would be devastating,” police warned United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), who wanted to make it clear that he is not participating in this population movement ordered by Israel. “The agency will maintain its presence in Rafah for as long as possible and will continue to provide essential assistance to the people,” they added via Israel's order “unacceptable”.

As on previous occasions, when the occupation forces have expelled civilians from other Palestinian cities during the current war, “calls for them to temporarily move to the humanitarian zone will be sent through posters, text messages [a los móviles]telephone calls and broadcasts in Arabic to the media,” the army specified in a statement.

There are already several leaflets circulating in which Israeli authorities warn Palestinians that their lives are in danger if they do not agree to evacuation. These announcements identify the areas, with parcel numbers and neighborhood names, that will be cleared first, affecting approximately 100,000 people. There, “the army will act with extreme violence” against armed groups, the military declaration says. Israel wants to present the expulsion of the Palestinians from Rafah to another area where they can be better cared for as a humanitarian action. However, the true intentions are inferred at the end of the statement: The aim is to try to eliminate the last Hamas battalions and free the hostages remaining in Gaza.

One of the leaflets distributed by the Israeli army calling on residents of Rafah to leave parts of the city.Rahim Khatib (Anadolu/Getty Images)

Many in Rafah live in tents with little access to food, water or medical care and have in turn been displaced from other parts of the Gaza Strip several times during the war, making new movements even more difficult. As the government of Israel has reiterated on numerous occasions over the past two months, they view the invasion of that southern city, bordering Egypt, and the last corner where they have not entered by land, as crucial, although they are bombing that city. daily.

It is there where, next to Hamas battalions, Israel places most of the more than a hundred hostages in the hands of the Islamists, many of whom are already dead. They have remained in the Palestinian enclave since the day the war began, on October 7, when Hamas killed about 1,200 people on Israeli territory and kidnapped about 250, according to official data. The Israeli response has already caused more than 34,700 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.

In its announcement, the military also stated that “there is an increase in humanitarian aid arriving in Gaza. The Israeli army has expanded the humanitarian zone in Al Mawasi to accommodate the increase in incoming aid. This area includes tents and field hospitals, as well as an increased amount of food, water, medicine and additional supplies.” They refer to the area where two weeks ago satellite images showed the installation of some of the 40,000 tents acquired by Israel, ensuring that “a continued assessment of the situation will guide the gradual relocation of civilians from the specified areas to the humanitarian area. ” .” Along with the statement, the military released images attempting to explain how they will carry out the action.

A woman and a child prepare to leave the eastern part of Rafah towards Khan Younis following the Israeli army's evacuation order next Monday, May 6.
A woman and a child prepare to leave the eastern part of Rafah towards Khan Younis following the Israeli army's evacuation order next Monday, May 6.Jehad Alshraf (Anadolu/Getty Images)

The order was made public a day after Hamas launched an attack from the Rafah area on a military garrison on Israeli territory, killing four Israeli soldiers and wounding three others. The area in which a dozen projectiles fell is the area around the Kerem Shalom border crossing, at the point where Israel, Egypt and Gaza meet, and one of the points through which Israel allows humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian enclave. That same Sunday, Minister Gallant visited the central part of the Strip. There he insisted that the Rafah operation would take place “very soon.”

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