A Palestinian wounded within the Israeli bombardment sits in a hospital In Rafah, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. AP
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s neighbors and key mediators warned Saturday of catastrophe and repercussions if its navy launches a floor invasion in Gaza’s southern metropolis of Rafah, the place Israel says remaining Hamas strongholds are positioned — together with over half the besieged territory’s inhabitants.
Israeli airstrikes killed not less than 44 Palestinians — together with greater than a dozen kids — in Rafah, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned he requested the navy to plan for the evacuation of a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals forward of an invasion. He gave no particulars or timeline.
The announcement set off panic. Greater than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million persons are packed into Rafah, which borders Egypt. Many fled there after following Israeli evacuation orders that now cowl two-thirds of the territory following the Oct. 7 Hamas assault that sparked the warfare. It’s not clear the place they may go subsequent.
READ: Israeli forces intensify strikes on Rafah in southern Gaza
Egyptian Overseas Minister Sameh Shoukry mentioned any Israeli floor offensive on Rafah would have “disastrous penalties,” and asserted that Israel goals to ultimately drive the Palestinians out of their land. Egypt has warned that any motion of Palestinians into Egypt would threaten the four-decade-old peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
One other mediator, Qatar, additionally warned of catastrophe, and Saudi Arabia warned of “very critical repercussions.” There’s even growing friction between Netanyahu and the US, whose officers have mentioned a Rafah invasion with no plan for civilians there would result in catastrophe.
“The individuals in Gaza can’t disappear into skinny air,” German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned on X, including that an Israeli offensive on Rafah can be a “humanitarian disaster within the making.”
Netanyahu has beforehand mentioned it’s inconceivable to eradicate Hamas whereas leaving 4 Hamas battalions in Rafah.
Regardless of the wave of criticism, he mentioned he was decided to go forward.
“Those that say that by no means ought to we enter Rafah are mainly saying lose the warfare, preserve Hamas there,” he advised ABC Information “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” in feedback that aired Saturday.
When requested the place the civilians ought to go, Netanyahu mentioned: “You understand, the areas that we’ve cleared north of Rafah, loads of areas there. However we’re understanding an in depth plan to take action.”
Israel has carried out nearly day by day airstrikes in Rafah, a uncommon entry level for Gaza’s badly wanted meals and medical provides, throughout its present floor fight in Khan Younis simply to the north.
In a single day into Saturday, three airstrikes on houses within the Rafah space killed 28 individuals, in line with a well being official and Related Press journalists who noticed our bodies arriving at hospitals. Every strike killed a number of members of a household, together with a complete of 10 kids, the youngest 3 months previous.
READ: Israel prepares assault on Rafah, seeks to allay fears of ‘massacre’
Fadel al-Ghannam mentioned one strike tore his family members to shreds. He misplaced his son, daughter-in-law and 4 grandchildren. He fears even worse with a floor invasion of Rafah, and mentioned the world’s silence has enabled Israel to proceed.
Afterward Saturday, an Israeli airstrike on a house in Rafah killed not less than 11 individuals, together with three kids, in line with Ahmed al-Soufi, head of Rafah municipality.
“That is what Netanyahu targets — the civilians,” mentioned a neighbor, Samir Abu Loulya. Two different strikes in Rafah killed two policemen and three senior officers within the civil police, in line with metropolis officers.
In Khan Younis, Israeli forces opened hearth at Nasser Hospital, the world’s largest, killing not less than two individuals and wounding 5, in line with the medical charity Docs With out Borders. Israeli tanks reached the hospital gates Saturday morning, Ahmed Maghrabi, a doctor there, mentioned in a Fb put up.
Well being Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra mentioned hospital workers are now not in a position to transfer between buildings due to the extreme hearth. He mentioned 450 sufferers and 10,000 displaced persons are sheltering there.
The Israeli navy mentioned troops weren’t working contained in the hospital however known as the encircling space “an energetic fight zone.”
Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzl Halevi, mentioned greater than 2,000 Hamas fighters in Khan Younis had been killed in airstrikes and floor fight, however the offensive within the metropolis was removed from over.
Gaza demise toll tops 28,000
Israel declared warfare after a number of thousand Hamas militants burst throughout the border into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 individuals and taking 250 others hostage. Not all are nonetheless alive.
The Gaza Well being Ministry mentioned the our bodies of 117 individuals killed in Israeli airstrikes had been delivered to hospitals over the previous 24 hours, elevating the general demise toll from the offensive to twenty-eight,064, largely girls and youngsters. The ministry mentioned greater than 67,000 individuals have been wounded.
Israel holds Hamas answerable for civilian deaths as a result of it fights from inside civilian areas, however U.S. officers have known as for extra surgical strikes. President Joe Biden has mentioned Israel’s response is “excessive.”
The United Nations says town that’s usually residence to lower than 300,000 individuals now hosts 1.4 million others who fled combating elsewhere and is “severely overcrowded.” Roughly 80% of Gaza’s individuals have been displaced.
Elsewhere in Gaza
On Saturday, Israel’s navy mentioned it had found tunnels beneath the principle headquarters of the U.N. company for Palestinian refugees in Gaza Metropolis, alleging that Hamas militants used the area.
An Israeli airstrike on the central city of Deir al-Balah killed 5 individuals and wounded about 10 others, in line with hospital officers and AP journalists.
Within the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza Metropolis, two medics from the Palestinian Crimson Crescent had been discovered lifeless in a destroyed ambulance after going lacking 12 days in the past. They’d tried to rescue 5-year-old Hind Rajab, who had been touring with household to heed evacuation orders.
The PRC beforehand launched a recording of a name from Hind’s cousin saying the automobile had come below hearth and solely she and Hind survived. The cousin went silent mid-call. Hind later died.
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The PRC mentioned the rescue mission was coordinated with Israel’s navy, which had no remark.
