Israeli forces seize Gaza from the north and south
Israeli forces pushed deep into the ruins of the northern edge of Gaza on May 13th, recapturing an area where they had claimed to have defeated Hamas months ago. In the southern enclave, tanks and troops pushed across a highway into Rafah, reported Arab News and agencies.
Israel described its return to the north as part of a “mop-up” stage of the war to prevent fighters from returning, insisting that such operations were inevitable. Palestinians say the need to keep fighting amid the ruins of previous battles proves that Israel’s military objectives are unattainable.
As a result, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have again taken flight. Aid groups warn that a humanitarian crisis could sharply worsen. On May 3rd, the UN Humanitarian Office warned that continued assault in the southern city of Rafah could kill thousands of civilians, as 1.3 million displaced Palestinians seek refuge there.
In Jabalia — the biggest eight camps built in Gaza to house Palestinian refugees — tanks pushed through the district. Residents said tank shells landed at the centre of camp and airstrikes destroyed clusters of houses.
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Israeli troops allegedly seek to wipe out Hamas — reasoning used repeatedly to justify Gaza’s unrelenting destruction. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the same after destroying Gaza’s largest hospital Al-Shifa.
A statement from the Gaza Health Ministry on May 13th warned that the medical system is on the verge of collapse due to a shortage of fuel, power generators and ambulances.
Palestinian health officials also said they had recovered 20 bodies of Palestinians killed in the overnight air strikes on Jabalia, while dozens were injured.
In Rafah — where residents were recently ordered out of the city — Israel seized a border crossing shared with Egypt, commencing with amped up violence in the region despite one of Hamas’s key demands in allowing for a ceasefire: the complete withdrawal of the country’s military forces. Israel stepped up aerial and ground bombardments, killing civilians in the Brazil neighbourhood.
Residents reported tanks cutting off the main north-south Salahuddin Road that divides Rafah’s eastern part from the central area.
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“The situation is dreadful and the sounds of explosions never stopped,” said 57-year-old Bassam from the Shaboura neighbourhood.
“No place looks safe now […] because people do not want to escape at the last minute should tanks make sudden incursions and moving out becomes too late,” he added.
Israel has faced international criticism for its assault on Rafah, also straining its decades-long alliance with the United States. Washington recently paused a military delivery to the country following May 7th’s overnight ambush.
Jack Lew, the US ambassador to Israel, said on May 12th that the Rafah incursion was on a scale that Washington still considered acceptable.
“The president was clear in the interview he gave the other evening that what Israel has done so far hasn’t crossed over into the area where our disagreements lie,” Lew told Israel’s Channel 12 TV. “I’m hoping we don’t end up with real disagreement.”
Arab News and agencies
