Israeli army regains control of central Rafah; fresh attacks kill 21 Palestinians
Journalists and eyewitnesses in southern Gaza’s Rafah area say that Israeli tanks have taken control of the central area in the central part of Rafah city. The central part of Rafah, called ‘Al Oda,’ is located 500 meters from the Egyptian border and was bombed extensively by Israel before gaining control of the area. At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 wounded in the latest Israeli attack on a refugee camp in Rafah on Tuesday, Gaza’s health ministry said. It should be remembered that millions of displaced refugees from different areas of Gaza have taken refuge in the Rafah camp. It should be remembered that on Sunday, the Israeli air force targeted the Rafah camp for the first time, resulting in the death of 45 Palestinians. Still, later, Israel called the attack on the refugee camp a ‘regrettable omission.
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A family that escaped the Israeli attack and took refuge at the Emirati hospital in Al Oda said that Israeli soldiers had taken up positions on top of buildings in the area and were monitoring the entire area. He said that the soldiers were firing on every person coming and going. The Israeli Defense Forces also confirmed that last night, Israeli troops were deployed in the buffer zone dividing Egypt and Gaza. Before the confirmation statement came from the Israeli army, eyewitnesses said that the Israeli soldiers had taken control of the 9 km buffer zone corridor between Egypt and Gaza. The Israeli military says they are searching for “terrorists, weapons, tunnel networks” in the area. Despite the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice, Israel has reiterated its continued offensive in Rafah, and Israeli officials have insisted that the ruling exempts the attack under international law. It should be remembered that at least 45 people were killed in the attack on the refugee camp in Rafah last Sunday, while hundreds of people were injured due to burns, fractures, and shrapnel.
After the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic accident” but reiterated his commitment that the fight against Hamas would continue. Speaking in the Israeli parliament, Netanyahu said it was important that Israel take “all necessary precautions” to protect civilians trapped by the war in Gaza. Netanyahu added, “I intend not to call a ceasefire until all of our goals are met.” During his speech, families of hostages held by Hamas continued to shout, interrupting his speech. It should be noted that international organizations condemned the attack, and the European Union stressed that Israel should respect last week’s decision of the International Court of Justice and stop the attacks in Rafah. EU chief Josep Borrell described Sunday’s attack as ‘horrific’
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