The Israeli army said on Friday that its soldiers are in the middle of Rafah as part of their growing attack in the southern Gaza city.
Israel sent its soldiers into the city on May 6. This made about 1 million Palestinians leave the city and made the UN’s help in that area very difficult. However, President Joe Biden said Israel has not fully invaded as he has advised them not to.
The Israeli military said on Friday that its forces have been active in many areas of the city. In the beginning, Israel attacked Rafah’s eastern neighborhoods and areas near the Egypt border. Israeli soldiers took control of the border crossing into Egypt on the first day of the attack and have also taken over a road that runs along the Gaza-Egypt border on the Gaza side.
This week, Israeli soldiers went into Rafah’s western area called Tel al-Sultan. There were big fights with Hamas fighters there. People saw it happen.
On Friday, the military said its soldiers in central Rafah found Hamas rocket launchers and tunnels. They also destroyed a place where the group stored weapons. It didn’t say exactly where in central Rafah the operations were happening, but earlier reports and people who saw it happen said it was in the Shaboura refugee camp and other places near the city center.
Israel says it’s important to attack Rafah to stop Hamas fighters in its campaign to destroy the group after they attacked southern Israel on Oct 7th.
Palestinian people who left the city are now living in poor tent camps in southern and central Gaza. Approximately 300,000 people are still in the area. Some are in the middle of the city. A UN official said this but asked not to say their name because they are not allowed to talk to the press. Shaina Low, who speaks for the Norwegian Refugee Council, a group that helps people in need, said that many people have gone to live in the countryside in the west of the city near the coast. This area has been hit by Israeli attacks and bombings in the past week, causing deaths.
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