by Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO, June 21 (Reuters) – Israeli forces continued their bombardments in the Gaza Strip, particularly against Rafah, and close combat pitted them against Hamas fighters, the IDF and residents of the enclave reported on Friday Palestinian.
The Israeli army is trying to gain full control of Rafah, according to residents. This city located at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, where more than a million displaced civilians have found refuge, is considered by Israel to be one of the last strongholds of Hamas. She has been his main target since the beginning of May.
After conquering the east, south and center of the city, Israeli tanks continued their advance towards the north and west. Air, land and naval bombardments by the Israeli army forced the majority of refugees to flee again.
At least twelve Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday, according to Palestinian medical sources.
“Last night was one of the worst nights in western Rafah. Drones, planes, tanks and boats bombarded the area. We have the impression that the occupiers are trying to complete their takeover. the city,” Hatem, 45, said via text message.
“They are suffering heavy strikes from resistance fighters (Hamas-Editor’s note), which is perhaps slowing them down,” he added.
The Israeli army said on Friday it was carrying out “precise” actions in Rafah based on information from intelligence services. The soldiers are engaged in close combat with Hamas fighters and have located tunnels.
According to Rafah residents, Israeli raids have intensified over the past two days.
“PEOPLE DIE IN THEIR TENTS”
More than eight months after the start of the war in Gaza, the Israeli advance is focused on the last two areas still under Hamas control: Deir el-Balah, in the Center, and Rafah, in the South.
According to the UN and Palestinian authorities, fewer than 100,000 people still live in the far west of the city.
“The city of Rafah is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe and people are dying in their tents because of Israeli bombings,” Ahmed el-Sofi, mayor of Rafah, said in a statement released Friday by Hamas media.
Ahmed el-Sofi added that no medical facilities were operating in the city and that residents and displaced families were facing a serious shortage of drinking water and food.
The Israeli army, for its part, accuses Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as human shields, which the Palestinian movement denies.
Hamas’ military wing said Thursday it hit two Israeli tanks with anti-tank rockets in the Shaboura camp in Rafah and killed soldiers who tried to escape. Israel did not immediately comment on the claims.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes in Khan Yunis and Gaza City killed at least eight people, including a father and son and several municipal workers, emergency services said, adding that teams were still on the ground. search for missing people in the rubble.
Fighting also continued on the outskirts of Gaza City, in the north of the enclave. Israeli forces destroyed numerous homes in the center of the city on Thursday, residents reported. (Report by Nidal al-Mughrabi, French version by Pauline Foret, edited by Sophie Louet)
©2024 Thomson Reuters, all rights reserved. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters or its third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. “Reuters” and the Reuters Logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies.