According to local media, Israeli tanks made their way towards the heart of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, while a large number of residents fled to avoid an Israeli ground offensive. The tanks had reached the Al-Geneina neighborhood and were moving forward towards the city center amidst intense gunfire.
This advancement of Israeli tanks into these areas comes after a night of heavy air and artillery bombardment on Rafah, signifying an expansion of the ground operation that the Israeli army had initiated in the eastern region of Rafah a few days ago.
The Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wings of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement respectively, issued a joint press release stating that their fighters had attacked Israeli forces in Rafah. According to their claims, the militants successfully destroyed a troop carrier with a shell in the Al-Salam neighborhood, located to the east of Rafah city.
Additionally, the Al-Quds Brigades released a separate statement mentioning that they had targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles near the Rafah crossing using mortar shells. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East reported on Tuesday that nearly 450,000 individuals have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since May 6.
“People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope”, the statement added.