Recent satellite images show two new tent settlements popping up in southern Gaza. These fresh images fuel the growing speculation that Israel is gearing up for a military operation in Rafah, a city located close to the Egyptian border.
Rafah is the last stronghold that Israel hasn’t yet infiltrated, and it has become a sanctuary for over a million refugees who’ve found shelter there for the past few months.
Before any attack takes place, the US stands firm in its position that provisions to protect these vulnerable civilians need to be established. In reply, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, argues that entering Rafah is a vital step in undermining Hamas and bringing back the hostages.
The present conflict was ignited when Hamas launched an offensive against Israeli communities in proximity to Gaza.
This attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals, the majority of whom were civilians, and around 250 were taken as hostages. Israel’s response, a campaign of ground operations and aerial assaults in Gaza, has tragically taken the lives of about 34,183 people, mostly civilian, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have gradually taken over northern Gaza, including Gaza City, and most of the central and southern Gaza, including Khan Younis, the main southern city over the past six months of warfare. But they have since retreated from almost all these areas, maintaining a military presence only on the road separating northern and southern Gaza.
Despite this, Israeli airstrikes have continued across Gaza, including Rafah, where sadly about 20 people, mainly children, were casualties of air strikes this past Saturday.
The satellite images highlight rows of tents to the west of Khan Younis and near Rafah. The before and after photos reinforce that these encampments were recently erected.
Earlier this month, Israeli media reported that Israel had invested in 40,000 tents, foreseeing the need to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah. Government sources quoted by Reuters suggested that each tent could provide shelter for 10 to 12 people.
Additionally, Israeli media outlets reported on plans already in motion to evacuate Rafah’s civilian population. The Israeli HaYom newspaper mentioned that the Israeli government had resolved to initiate an operation in Rafah “very soon” after talks aimed at negotiating a ceasefire and the release of hostages with Hamas hit a roadblock. A similar sentiment was echoed by other Israeli papers.
US media have cited Israeli and Egyptian officials as stating that Rafah’s civilians will be relocated to Khan Younis and other areas, including al-Mawasi. The sandy coastal area between Rafah and Khan Younis had been declared as a “humanitarian zone” by Israel earlier during the war. This movement of people is expected to span several weeks.
Rafah’s infiltration would be done in phases by Israeli troops, as stated by Egyptian officials, and the foreseeable conflict is estimated to last about six weeks.
However, neither Netanyahu’s office nor the IDF has yet commented on these reports, as per Reuters.
Israeli officials have weighed in, suggesting that there are four Hamas battalions present in Rafah and their ranks have been bolstered by fighters who’ve retreated there from other sections of Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that the US “cannot support a major military operation in Rafah”. He further emphasized that no viable plan has been introduced to safeguard civilians from this crisis, cautioning that any military intervention could result in “terrible consequences” for the remaining civilians in Rafah.
Read also: Argentina demands arrest of Iranian official for 1994 bomb attack
Rafah is currently in a dire state, with displaced residents suffering from a shortage of food, water, and medical supplies.
Earlier this month, some displaced Palestinians attempted an arduous journey to reach northern Gaza but were thwarted by Israeli Forces. Eye-witnesses also accuse Israeli Forces of opening fire on the crowd, leading to five tragic deaths.
Even after the ongoing violence, Israel has not clarified when Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza will be allowed to return – a key demand made by Hamas in stalled ceasefire negotiations.
There has been a resurgence of violence in parts of northern Gaza, with the Israeli military attacking areas near the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, as well as the Jabalia refugee camp and the Gaza City suburb of Zeitoun.
A mother-of-six living in close proximity to Zeitoun, Um Mohammad who is 53 said, “The bombing from tanks and planes didn’t stop…I had to gather with my children and my sisters who came to shelter with me in one place and pray for our lives as the house kept shaking.”