Residents in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, reported heavy artillery shelling and gunfire on Thursday following Israel's announcement that it had seized control of a strategic corridor along the Palestinian territory’s border with Egypt. The Israeli military launched its incursion into Rafah in early May despite international objections over the fate of Palestinian civilians seeking refuge there.
The incursion has led to severe humanitarian consequences, highlighted by a weekend strike that ignited a fire and killed dozens in a displacement camp. This incident has drawn widespread condemnation, fueling a social media campaign with the slogan “All eyes on Rafah,” which has been shared by tens of millions globally. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, claimed that troops had “discovered around 20 tunnels” in the region.
Egypt, a long-time mediator in the conflict, dismissed allegations of smuggling tunnels beneath the buffer zone. An Egyptian source accused Israel of using these claims to justify prolonging the conflict for political purposes. Egyptian officials warned that an Israeli takeover of the Philadelphi corridor could violate the 1979 peace agreement between the two countries. Meanwhile, in Beijing, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza and reiterated Egypt’s opposition to any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians.
In Rafah, witnesses reported ongoing fighting in the city’s central and western areas. They also noted that Israeli forces had demolished several buildings in the eastern parts of the city, where the incursion began on May 7, focusing initially on the critical Rafah border crossing—a key entry point for humanitarian aid. The UN reported that about one million people have fled Rafah since the offensive began, with many civilians seen carrying their belongings on their shoulders, in cars, or on donkey-drawn carts.
Tragically, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported late Wednesday that two of its paramedics were killed by an Israeli airstrike on an ambulance near Rafah. The weekend strike that caused a devastating fire in the camp for displaced Palestinians killed 45 people, according to Gaza officials. This incident has led to two days of discussions at the UN Security Council, with Israel claiming the strike targeted a Hamas compound and resulted in the deaths of two senior Hamas members.
The incursion has led to severe humanitarian consequences, highlighted by a weekend strike that ignited a fire and killed dozens in a displacement camp. This incident has drawn widespread condemnation, fueling a social media campaign with the slogan “All eyes on Rafah,” which has been shared by tens of millions globally. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, claimed that troops had “discovered around 20 tunnels” in the region.
Egypt, a long-time mediator in the conflict, dismissed allegations of smuggling tunnels beneath the buffer zone. An Egyptian source accused Israel of using these claims to justify prolonging the conflict for political purposes. Egyptian officials warned that an Israeli takeover of the Philadelphi corridor could violate the 1979 peace agreement between the two countries. Meanwhile, in Beijing, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza and reiterated Egypt’s opposition to any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians.
In Rafah, witnesses reported ongoing fighting in the city’s central and western areas. They also noted that Israeli forces had demolished several buildings in the eastern parts of the city, where the incursion began on May 7, focusing initially on the critical Rafah border crossing—a key entry point for humanitarian aid. The UN reported that about one million people have fled Rafah since the offensive began, with many civilians seen carrying their belongings on their shoulders, in cars, or on donkey-drawn carts.
Tragically, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported late Wednesday that two of its paramedics were killed by an Israeli airstrike on an ambulance near Rafah. The weekend strike that caused a devastating fire in the camp for displaced Palestinians killed 45 people, according to Gaza officials. This incident has led to two days of discussions at the UN Security Council, with Israel claiming the strike targeted a Hamas compound and resulted in the deaths of two senior Hamas members.
