Evacuation plan for Rafah
Army finds terror tunnels “under most houses” in Gaza Strip
February 26, 2024, 4:11 a.m
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
In its fight against Hamas, Israel’s army is leaving behind a field of rubble in the Gaza Strip. There is no other way, says military spokesman Hagari. Hamas is deliberately hiding behind civilians. Meanwhile, there are now apparently concrete plans as to how the evacuation in Rafah should proceed.
The Israeli army says it has discovered terrorist tunnels or weapons caches belonging to the Islamist Hamas “under most of the houses” in the Gaza Strip. In addition, “the majority of schools, mosques, hospitals and international facilities were used by Hamas for its military operations,” writes Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari in a guest article for the US newspaper “Wall Street Journal.”
Hamas wants the world to believe that Israel’s army is waging war on all of Gaza. “In reality, our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza,” Hagari wrote, adding: “We are waging this war with a heavy heart and are aware of the tragic loss of civilians on both sides.”
Hamas and other Palestinians killed more than 1,200 people in their attack on Israel. Of the remaining 136 Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, at least 30 are believed to be no longer alive. According to the latest information from the Hamas-controlled health authority, the number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip has now risen to 29,692. The authorities do not distinguish between civilians and armed fighters.
The high number of civilian casualties is clearly criticized internationally, including by Israel’s closest ally, the USA. The massive destruction caused by Israel’s bombardment also causes horror. “Our task is to destroy Hamas and bring our hostages home – not to destroy the Gaza Strip or drive out its population,” army spokesman Hagari wrote in his guest article.
Four Hamas battalions in Rafah
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has meanwhile shown himself determined to continue the ground offensive in Rafah. At the beginning of the week he wants to convene the cabinet to have the operational plan approved. The head of government emphasized that it would be impossible to achieve the war goal of eliminating Hamas if four Hamas battalions remained in Rafah. His office said that night that the army had submitted to the war cabinet “a plan for the evacuation of the population from the combat zones in the Gaza Strip and the upcoming operational plan.” A plan to provide humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip “to prevent looting in the northern strip and other areas” was also approved, it said. No details were given in the short statement. Rafah was not specifically mentioned either.
More than a million people have fled to the city, which borders Egypt, since the start of the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army says it is preparing a ground offensive there to destroy the “last remaining Hamas bastions” and free hostages suspected to be there.