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Israel is now laying plans to move into Rafah and evacuate the Palestinian civilian before the invasion amid continuous warnings that it may lead to a humanitarian catastrophe as confirmed by a senior Israeli defence official on April 24, 2024. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led Israeli government spokesperson said that Israel was moving ahead with a ground operation without specifying a time period.
According to an official of the Israel Defence Ministry, they have purchased 40,000 tents and each of which can accommodate 10 to 12 people to house the Palestinians, once they are displaced from Rafah in advance of assault. As reported by an international media agency, a government official said that the war cabinet of Netanyahu planned to meet in the next two weeks for authorising civilian evacuation operation which is likely to take a month or so.
Rafah, which is close to the Egypt’s border is home to a million Palestinians who have travelled from rest of Gaza amid the Israeli officials. Israel which launched an attack on Hamas after its towns were infiltrated by the Islamist group in the October 7 attacks claims that Rafah is hosting four combat battalions which are filled with thousands of retreating fighters and that they need to be eradicated for victory.
“Hamas was hit hard in the northern sector. It was also hard hit in the center of the strip, and it will soon be hit hard in Rafah too, said Brigadier Itzik Cohen, the commander of the Israel’s 162nd Division operating in Gaza, while speaking to media agency. The United States of America, Israel’s strongest ally, has appealed to the country to keep plans for Hamas for an assault on hold and has stated that Israel is capable of combating Hamas fighters in other ways.
“We could not support a ground invasion in Rafah without an appropriate, credible executable humanitarian plan precisely because of the complications for delivery of assistance,” said David Satterfield the US Special envoy to the Middle East humanitarian, while speaking to the reporters on April 23, 2024. “We continue discussions with Israel on what we believe are alternate ways of addressing a challenge which we recognise which is Hamas military present in Rafah,” he added.
Egypt’s State Information Services said it will not permit the Gazans to be pushed beyond the border towards its territory. Egypt also warned Israel to reconsider the offensive operation in Rafah as it would lead to massive human massacres, losses and widespread destruction, the State Information Services said.
In the wake of Israel’s plans, the top intelligence chief held talks with top Israeli military officials along with other key officials in Cairo on April 24, 2024, to discuss a possible operation by the IDF in Rafah, said three Israeli military officers. Egyptian officials have also hinted that such an operation will rupture the bilateral relations between the Jewish nation and Cairo and harm the peace agreement between the two nations
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