Israeli tanks reportedly entered the center of Gaza's southern city of Rafah yesterday for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. Israeli shelling and airstrikes also reportedly hit a tent camp west of Rafah, killing at least 37 people.
Israel's advances come after a United Nations court ordered it to halt military operations that could lead to the loss of further civilian lives. The latest expansion into Rafah follows Israeli strikes and secondary explosions Sunday that killed at least 45 people.
Meanwhile, aid deliveries via a sea route have been suspended after a temporary US-built pier was damaged by rough seas. The pier, which will take roughly a week to rebuild, is one of the few ways for food to reach Palestinians, whom the UN says face famine conditions.
Separately, Ireland, Norway, and Spain yesterday formally recognized a Palestinian state based on borders established before an Arab-Israel war in 1967—a diplomatic move that observers say attempts to put pressure on Israel to end the Gaza conflict.
Comments