Click to see the full-size image
Israeli military activities in the Rafah area in the south of the Gaza Strip are still ongoing and there are no indications of a decrease in tensions.
In early May, the Israeli army began its ground operation in the Rafah area through the Karam Abu Salem crossing. Then, Israeli attacks in the southern parts of Rafah were expanded by capturing the Rafah crossing. Over the past few weeks, they have reached the shores of Rafah by moving along the border line with Egypt.
The battles are taking place in all the southern and western sectors of Rafah city. The Israeli army controls a large portion of the southern districts of Rafah city. The western half of Rafah city and parts of Tal al-Sultan and Saudi housing are currently occupied by the Israeli army.
Israel’s air and ground superiority makes it very unlikely for Palestinian groups to hold onto the remaining areas in Rafah city. The Israeli army, like in other areas in which it has previously operated, will declare victory against Hamas after successive raids, countless airstrikes, and destruction, and will withdraw from the ruins of Rafah.
Click to see the full-size image
In its latest statistics, the Ministry of Health of Gaza announced that 37,598 people were killed and 86,032 were wounded as a result of the Zionist regime aggression in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing since October 7.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the UNRWA, emphasized that today we are witnessing the biggest disaster since the occupation of Palestine.
Lazzarini stated that this agency has suffered from numerous attacks by the Zionist regime, and the institutions active in the field of humanitarian affairs in Gaza paid a heavy price in this war.
“Lazzarini said that 180 employees of this agency have been killed so far and 120 affiliated centers have been bombed.”
The fighting in the Gaza Strip continues and there is no clear solution within the current path.
On June 10, the United Nations Security Council supported the Joe Biden’s proposal for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and called on the Palestinian groups to accept the agreement aimed at ending the eight-month war.
14 members of the Security Council voted in favor of this resolution. Hamas also welcomed this resolution and announced that it is ready to cooperate with mediators to implement the principles of this plan.
However, this three-phase ceasefire plan has not been properly implemented so far, and Netanyahu is the main obstacle to achieving a permanent ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported last week that the army plans to declare the end of the war after the completion of the Rafah operation. However, the intention of Israeli regime officials has been revealed through Netanyahu’s recent statements.
In a television interview on Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the current phase of the battle with Hamas in Gaza (in Rafah) is “coming to an end” but he will not allow the war in the Gaza Strip to stop until Hamas is destroyed. He also stated that by halting ground operations in Rafah, Israel can send additional troops to the northern borders to confront Hezbollah.
When asked if he supported an agreement with a commitment to end the war, Netanyahu replied:
“No. I’m ready to make a partial agreement, some hostages come home and then the war will resume.”
Netanyahu’s words showed that there are deep differences between him and the White House, and that Netanyahu does not adhere to the resolution proposed by the United States for a cease-fire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners.
The Israeli army is preparing to start the third phase of the war in the Gaza Strip, as reported by the KAAN channel of the Israeli regime. This clearly means that if Israel’s ground operations in the Gaza Strip halt, the war will not stop. The Israeli regime will continue daily strikes, just like in other areas, and more civilians will be killed.
Netanyahu is hypocritically seeking only a partial agreement that will lead to the release of some Israeli prisoners before resuming the war against Gaza. In fact, Netanyahu’s statements prove that he lies to the families of the Israeli prisoners and does not care about their lives. He sees the Gaza war as a mean of saving his political career and escaping diplomatic setbacks.
On May 20, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that he had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The political situation in Israel is also critical. On Saturday, a large anti-government demonstration took place in Tel Aviv.
The demonstration organizers estimate that about 150 thousand people took to the streets of Tel Aviv. This number of protesters is unprecedented since October 7.
Demonstrators set fire to a wooden pavilion in front of the Likud party headquarters, and blamed Benjamin Netanyahu as the main cause of the failure to achieve a peace agreement and release of prisoners. Demonstrators hold the belief that Netanyahu is the main cause of the war’s continuation and that he is leading the country towards destruction.
Chances of a significant war on the northern fronts and southern Lebanon are now higher than ever because of political and military approach of the Netanyahu government.
The recent developments, such as Israel’s failure to comply with a genuine ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the increase of forces in the northern fronts, along with the news of certain countries’ warning to evacuate their nationals from Lebanon, indicate significant changes in the northern region. This comes amid the unprecedented threats made by Seyed Hassan Nasrallah against any new Israeli military intervention on Lebanese territory. The conflict is currently at a critical juncture and its further development is underway.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
