Three weeks into a ground campaign in the southern Gaza city, Israeli tanks arrived in the heart of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday. This action has sparked international outrage.
The witnesses told Reuters that they saw the tanks close to the Al-Awda mosque, a prominent landmark in Rafah. The Israeli military stated that its soldiers were still operating in the Rafah region. However, it did not address rumors of an advance into the city center.
Overnight, residents reported that its soldiers bombarded the city with airstrikes and tank fire. They continued their offensive in defiance of worldwide condemnation following an attack on Sunday that resulted in a fire in a tent camp, killing at least 45 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women, children, and the elderly.
According to officials in the Hamas-run enclave of Rafah, Israeli shelling has killed at least 26 more civilians since that initial hit.
During one of the worst shelling nights reported by residents, Israeli tanks advanced into western neighborhoods. They positioned themselves atop the Zurub hilltop in western Rafah. Witnesses reported seeing gunfights between fighters led by Hamas and Israeli troops in the Zurub region on Tuesday.
According to witnesses in Rafah, the Israeli military appeared to have brought in remotely driven armored vehicles. There was no obvious indication of anyone inside or surrounding them. There was no immediate comment from a military official for Israel.
Since Israel began its offensive three weeks ago by seizing control of the border crossing with Egypt, tanks have been circling Rafah and penetrating some of its eastern sections. However, they have not yet fully penetrated the city.
World leaders called for the application of a World Court order to stop Israel’s offensive as a response to the raid on Sunday night at a camp where families who had been displaced by attacks in other parts of Gaza had sought refuge.
Locals reported that heavy bombardment was still occurring in the Tel Al-Sultan area, the site of Sunday’s devastating hit.
“Tank shells are falling everywhere in Tel Al-Sultan. Many families have fled their houses in western Rafah under fire throughout the night,” one resident told Reuters over a chat app.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) announced on Tuesday that since early May, around a million people have left the Israeli offensive in Rafah.
Despite a top U.N. court’s Friday order to cease, Israel has continued its bombardment, claiming that the court’s decision gives it some leeway to use force there.
On Tuesday, Spain, Ireland, and Norway will formally recognize the state of Palestine. This move has angered Israel, which has been more and more isolated following over seven months of conflict in Gaza.
The three countries have presented their move as a means of accelerating attempts to force a ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 36,000 Palestinians have died because of Israel’s offensive. Israel began the operation after militants led by Hamas stormed villages in southern Israel on October 7, killing almost 1,200 people and taking over 250 captives, according to Israeli estimates.
Israel claims it intends to free captives it claims are being detained in the region and drive away Hamas fighters who have taken up residence in Rafah.
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