Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Saturday killed several civilians, including women and children, according to Palestinian state media. The strikes added to the fear among the over one million displaced Palestinians in the area.
Air Strikes on Residential Areas
The airstrikes hit two family homes, resulting in the death of 10 residents. Missiles and artillery also struck other areas of Rafah and its surroundings, as reported by the Wafa news agency. The Israeli military has not provided immediate comments on these strikes.
Fear of Ground Offensive
For weeks, Palestinians have been anticipating an Israeli ground offensive on Rafah. The residents, who had been forced from their homes due to previous Israeli actions, are now worried about the potential for further escalation in the region. President Biden and other world leaders have urged Israel to avoid a ground invasion in Rafah to prevent worsening the humanitarian crisis.
President Biden and other world leaders have urged Israel not to invade Rafah because it would make an already dire humanitarian crisis even worse. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not heeded those calls and claims a ground offensive is necessary to “complete the elimination of Hamas’s battalions” and to destroy its tunnel networks.
In a briefing to the Security Council this week, Secretary General António Guterres said that Israel’s military offensive in Rafah would “compound this humanitarian catastrophe.”
Rahaf Al-Madhoun, 17, was streaming live on TikTok to talk about the living conditions in Rafah when the first airstrike hit very close. She stopped to collect herself before continuing, describing the fear sown by the strikes and the constant presence of surveillance drones overhead.
Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed reporting.
