Three soldiers died in Rafah, according to the Israeli military on Wednesday. Israeli news said that a booby trap exploded on Tuesday, which killed some soldiers and injured three others. The military says that at least 290 soldiers have died since the ground operation in Gaza started in October.
Israel is doing some small actions in eastern Rafah near the border between Gaza and Egypt. People in Rafah, a border town, said there was a lot of fighting on Wednesday. Israeli forces are attacking the town, which used to be a safe place for Palestinians. The US and other countries have told Israel not to launch a big attack on the city.
Israeli leaders say their soldiers need to go into Rafah to stop Hamas and free the hostages from the Oct 7 attack that started the war.
The fighting in Rafah has made over 1 million Palestinians leave their homes. Many of them were already forced to leave because of the war between Israel and Hamas. The UN says that many people who have fled the war now live in dirty tent camps and other areas that are destroyed by the war. They don’t have basic things like shelter, food, water, and other things they need to survive.
Israel’s attacks and fighting on the ground in Gaza have caused the deaths of over 36,000 Palestinians. The Health Ministry does not separate between soldiers and regular people.
Israel started a fight in Gaza because Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7. The attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly innocent people, and kidnapped about 250 others. Israel says about 100 people are still being held against their will in Gaza, and there are also around 30 dead bodies that have not been returned.
Three soldiers died in Rafah from the fighting in Gaza, the Israeli military said on Wednesday.
Israeli news said that some soldiers died and got hurt on Tuesday when a trap exploded.
Palestinians said there was a lot of fighting in different parts of Rafah on Wednesday. Israel is making a bigger attack, causing over 1 million people to leave the city. Most people were forced to leave their homes before the war started.
Israel went into Rafah on May 6 to stop Hamas from bringing weapons into Gaza from Egypt. They said they only went a little way into the area. It means that Rafah is the final big area where Hamas is really strong, but the fighters have also gathered in other parts of Gaza.
The military says that around 290 soldiers have died since the ground operation in Gaza started in October.
Urgent help needed in Gaza.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent are asking for a stop to fighting and for help to reach the people in Gaza who are suffering. This is needed to help civilians who are stuck in the conflict.
“It’s really important,” said IFRC President Kate Forbes in an interview with The Associated Press in the Philippine capital, Manila, where she was going to have some meetings. “First, the government needs to find a way to stop the fighting so we can help both sides with aid. ”
“Some places need help with mental and emotional support, and in others, they need urgent assistance,” said Forbes, who became the leader of the world’s biggest network for helping people in December.
“I’ve said that this is like a fast race and a long race. ” “We need to quickly get help in Gaza for people who are malnourished and don’t have proper sanitation,” she said. “It’s going to take a long time and a lot of help to fix Gaza and help the people there. “