RAFAH: Smoke rose from strikes on Gaza’s overcrowded southern city of Rafah on Thursday after US President Joe Biden vowed to cut off artillery shells and other weapons supplied to Israel if a full-scale offensive into the city goes ahead, AFP reported.
It was the starkest warning yet from Israel’s main military provider over the civilian impact of its war against Palestinian group Palestinian militants.
According to media reports, harrowing scenes of destruction and fear prevailed in Rafah as tanks and jets targeted various parts of the city, home to 1.4 million Palestinian people seeking refuge from relentless Israeli bombardment. “Every minute you hear a rocket and you don’t know where it will land,” remarked a resident, Tarek Bahlul, reflecting the pervasive sense of dread.
Israel has already defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting what it called “targeted raids” in the eastern area of Rafah. Despite Biden’s warning, Israel pressed forward with its military operations, which it described as “targeted raids”. This defiance of international pressure underscores the complex dynamics at play in the region.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Biden warned he would stop some US weapons supplies to Israel if it pushed ahead with its long-threatened major Rafah ground offensive. He highlighted the humanitarian consequences of Israel’s actions. The decision to halt the delivery of bombs last week was cited as a response to the looming threat of further civilian casualties. Biden told CNN that, “If they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used… to deal with the cities.” He added: “We’re not gonna supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used.”
The war in Gaza erupted following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7. Israel’s vow to crush the Palestinian resistance group has led to a devastating toll on Gaza’s population, prompting mass displacement and exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Israel’s relentless bombardment campaign has killed at least 34,904 Palestinian people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The ministry on Thursday reported at least 60 more deaths over the previous 24 hours. Since Monday when Israel ordered residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate, the daily reported toll has been above 50, up from a peak of 33 earlier in May.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian protests have erupted globally, underscoring the widespread condemnation of Israel’s actions. The seizure of Rafah’s border crossing into Egypt further exacerbates the humanitarian plight, limiting aid access to the besieged territory.
Israel’s response to Biden’s warning has been defiant, with its ambassador to the United Nations labeling the statement as “very disappointing.” Questions loom over the effectiveness of the arms transfer halt, with analysts speculating on its operational impact.
The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, on Thursday said 80,000 people have fled Rafah since Monday, but “nowhere is safe”. On Tuesday Israel seized Rafah’s border crossing into Egypt, which has served as the main entry point for aid into besieged Gaza.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has warned of an impending famine in Gaza.
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