Israeli tanks reportedly entered the heart of Rafah on Tuesday, marking the first time since the beginning of the military operations in the southern Gaza city three weeks ago.
Witnesses reported seeing tanks and armored vehicles equipped with machine guns near the Al-Awda mosque, a prominent landmark in central Rafah.
The Israeli military acknowledged that its forces were active in the Rafah area but did not specifically address reports of advancing into the city center.
Residents recounted enduring airstrikes and tank shelling throughout the night, indicating that the attacks persisted despite widespread international condemnation following Sunday’s attack, which resulted in a devastating fire at a tent camp and claimed the lives of at least 45 Palestinians, with over half of them being children, women, and elderly individuals.
The international community expressed shock at the devastating fire that occurred in a designated “humanitarian zone,” where families displaced by conflict in other parts of Gaza had sought refuge.
Leaders urged the enforcement of a World Court mandate to halt Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
In an additional effort to curb the violence, Spain, Ireland, and Norway were set to formally acknowledge the existence of a Palestinian state on Tuesday.
These countries stated that their decision is intended to expedite efforts towards achieving a ceasefire in the prolonged conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, which has left much of the densely populated Gaza Strip in ruins after eight months of fighting.
According to residents, the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, where Sunday night’s airstrike occurred, resulting in tents and shelters being engulfed in flames while families were settling in for the night, continued to face heavy bombardment.
A resident stated, “Tank shells are falling everywhere in Tel Al-Sultan. Many families have fled their houses in western Rafah under fire throughout the night.”
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported on Tuesday that approximately one million individuals, who were displaced multiple times due to the ongoing conflict, have fled the Israeli attacks in Rafah since early May.
A video obtained depicted families once more on the move, navigating through the devastated streets of Rafah while carrying their possessions, with their tired children following behind them.
Moayad Fusaifas, pushing along luggage on two bicycles said, “There are a lot of attacks, smoke and dust. It is death from God…The (Israelis) are hitting everywhere. We’re tired.”
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