2024-08-21 18:09:09
Israel claims to have defeated Hamas brigades in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said during a visit to the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt: “The Rafah Brigades have been defeated and more than 150 tunnels in the area have been destroyed.” He instructed the troops to now focus on destroying the coastal strip and Egypt. The remaining tunnels on the border.
Despite strong international criticism, Israel advanced into Rafah in May, destroying the remnants of the Islamic terror group. It is estimated that around 1 million of the refugees who had gathered there left the city again. Israeli forces also seized the Rafah border crossing into Egypt and the so-called Philadelphia Corridor.
This approximately 14-kilometer-long area is considered one of the most controversial points in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Hamas calls on Israel to completely withdraw from Gaza. On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel must continue to control the corridor even after the ceasefire to prevent weapons smuggling.
The Gaza War was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history launched by Hamas and other extremist organization terrorists on October 7 last year, killing more than 1,200 people. More than 250 hostages were kidnapped from Israel to Gaza.
Israel’s subsequent offensive in the blockaded coastal strip has killed 40,223 people and injured nearly 93,000, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. The information, which cannot be independently verified, does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
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