The Israeli military is now in central Rafah, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Friday, amid international concern and outrage over its operations in Gaza’s southernmost city. This statement corroborates earlier reports by eyewitnesses to CNN, who spotted tanks in central Rafah for the first time since the IDF entered the city earlier this month. According to the IDF, their troops in Rafah discovered Hamas rocket launchers, terror tunnel shafts, and weapon caches, and dismantled a Hamas weapons storage facility in the area.
The Israeli military further stated on Wednesday that it had achieved “operational control” over the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border. Meanwhile, Palestinian telecommunications company Jawwal reported interruptions to cell phone services in Rafah due to the ongoing offensive.
This incursion into Rafah, which began earlier in May, has escalated the conflict against Hamas, resulting in over 36,000 Palestinian deaths, massive displacement within the Gaza Strip, and a dire humanitarian crisis that has alarmed international agencies.
