Israeli forces fought Hamas in areas of the devastated north that the military claimed to have cleansed months ago but where terrorists had reassembled as they advanced farther into Gaza’s southern city of Rafah on Sunday.
A escalating offensive in Rafah, which is thought to be the final haven for over a million civilians in Gaza and the last stronghold of Hamas, was the subject of ongoing warnings. Following evacuation orders from Israel, which claims it must enter in order to destroy Hamas and release several hostages captured in the Oct. 7 strike against Israel that started the war, almost 300,000 people have left Rafah.
Egypt, a neighbor, has issued concerns about the growing Rafah operation. Its foreign ministry has stated that it plans to formally join South Africa’s lawsuit at the International Court of Justice, where South Africa is accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel denies. “The worsening severity and scope of Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians” was mentioned in the statement.
Due to the lack of a functioning administration, public order has broken down in Gaza, allowing Hamas’ military wing to reorganize itself in even the most severely affected districts. Israel has simply stated that it will continue to have unrestricted security authority over the coastal enclave, which is home to roughly 2.3 million Palestinians, without providing a comprehensive plan for postwar government in Gaza.
In a Memorial Day speech, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to battle until the end in honor of the war’s dead.
