Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a “large-scale operation” in Rafah, indicating the need for the “collapse” of the remaining Hamas armed units in the last remaining refuge in Gaza. Israeli raids on the city on Monday, as part of what Israel said was a hostage rescue operation, increased fears in Rafah. The raids resulted in the deaths of at least 67 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned against any military operation in Rafah if it puts civilians in danger. President Biden said Monday that Israel must have a “credible plan to ensure the safety and support of the more than a million people who have taken refuge there.”
Rafah was once one of the last refuges in Gaza, and its population swelled to an estimated 1.4 million people by early February, more than five times its pre-war number. Many of the displaced ended up in sprawling camps on the outskirts of the city. The Washington Post spoke with several Gazans in Rafah who said they were trying to head north into the central area of Gaza, even though the Israeli army had previously ordered the evacuation of that area.
Shadi Asaad, 32 years old, said that he was walking around with his father in charitable institutions in Rafah, desperately searching for an additional tent. “I made the decision to move my family to the Deir al-Balah area,” Asaad said in an interview on Tuesday, referring to part of the central region. “But with only one tent at our disposal, we need at least one more.”
The tents were provided free of charge by charitable organizations. However, they are now being sold in the market at exorbitant prices and can cost up to $1,000 each.
Rami Muhammad (32 years old), his wife Najwa, and their two children found themselves displaced from their apartment located near Al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis, after the property owner took refuge from Rafah. Muhammad and his family are now living in a temporary tent in Al-Zawaida, the northernmost part of the Deir Al-Balah region.
“The high prices make even a basic tent unaffordable,” Mohammed said.
Here's what else you should know
CIA Director William Burns and Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea met on Tuesday In Egypt as part of ongoing efforts to negotiate a possible deal to release the hostages. US officials hope that Israel will have a counter-response to Hamas' latest proposal, and believe that the “shape” of the agreement “has begun to converge,” a senior US administration official said earlier.
Two Israelis were injured as a result of a missile being fired at the town of Kiryat Shmona in the north of the country, near the border with Lebanon. According to Israeli emergency services. A 15-year-old boy and a 47-year-old woman were injured amid gunfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, but it is unusual for civilians to be targeted.
The South African government submitted an “urgent application” to the International Court of Justice To consider whether the planned Israeli attack in Rafah requires the court to use its authority to prevent “imminent further violation of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza.” South Africa filed a historic genocide case against Israel in December; In a preliminary ruling, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to make more efforts to prevent the killing of civilians but did not call for a ceasefire.
At least 28,473 people have been killed and 68,146 others injured in Gaza since the war began. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7.
