War in the Middle East: Israel continues “limited” operations in Rafah

The Israeli army is continuing what it says are “precise” advances in the refugee-filled city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. “Our operations against Hamas in Rafah remain limited and focused on tactical advances, tactical adjustments and military advantages, and have avoided densely populated areas,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) warned Israel against expanding the operation. “We consider an offensive on Rafah (…) to be irresponsible,” he said in Potsdam. In Israel there were angry protests against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the evening. “As long as Netanyahu is in power, the hostages will not return (…) Netanyahu is leading Israel to complete ruin,” Israeli media quoted a statement from relatives of the hostages as saying.

The Israeli army had called on the population of Rafah to leave other areas in the east and, for the first time, in the center of the city. At the beginning of the week, Israel began deploying ground troops initially in the eastern outskirts of Rafah. Since then, “dozens of terrorists have been eliminated,” underground terror tunnels have been uncovered and large quantities of weapons have been seized, said Hagari. It’s not just aid organizations that fear that an expansion of the Israeli offensive could lead to hundreds of thousands of civilians being caught between the fronts.

Report: US offers intelligence assistance to Israel

According to a media report, the USA has offered Israel help in tracking down leaders of the Islamist Hamas in exchange for refraining from a major offensive in Rafah. As the Washington Post newspaper reported, citing four people familiar with the US offer, the US would help the Israeli military with intelligence support to locate the whereabouts of Hamas leaders and the terrorist organization’s underground tunnels. American officials have also offered to provide Israel with thousands of emergency shelters so that the army can set up tent cities for the residents of Rafah who are being evacuated.

The Israeli army justifies the military action in Rafah, which was threatened months ago, by wanting to destroy the last Hamas battalions and destroy the smuggling tunnels suspected to be under the border with Egypt. Meanwhile, army spokesman Daniel Hagari reported that an “underground route” had also been found in Al-Saitun in the center of the sealed-off coastal strip.

In the evening, fighter jets also attacked targets in Jabalia in the north after the civilian population had been evacuated. In recent weeks, attempts by Hamas to reposition itself militarily have been observed, said Hagari. “Wherever we have intelligence about such attempts by Hamas, we will act.”

Reports: Israel’s military chief calls for post-war strategy

Due to the lack of a political strategy for the period after the war, Israel’s army has to repeatedly fight in places in the Gaza Strip, such as now in Jabalia, which it had actually previously taken and from which it had already withdrawn, complained Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi, according to media reports, during security consultations with the Prime Minister Netanyahu.

“As long as there is no diplomatic process to establish a non-Hamas administration in Gaza, we will have to repeatedly launch campaigns in other places to destroy Hamas’ infrastructure,” the Israeli military chief was quoted as saying in the Times of Israel ” quoted. “It will be a Sisyphean task.”

Netanyahu recently spoke on U.S. television about the future of the Gaza Strip, saying that if Hamas were defeated in the sealed-off coastal area, there would likely be “some kind of civil administration,” possibly with the help of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries “. This is about states that want “stability and peace”.

However, Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Sajid made it clear on the online platform X that they would not take part in any possible civil administration with other states. His country will not allow itself to be drawn into any plans to “provide cover for Israel’s presence in the Gaza Strip.” Netanyahu also has no authority to initiate such a step.

Biden sees Hamas as having a duty

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden reiterated Hamas’ responsibility with regard to the indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. “You know, there would be a ceasefire tomorrow if (…) Hamas released the hostages – women, the elderly and the wounded,” Biden said at a campaign event in Medina, Washington state, according to press representatives traveling with him. National Security Council communications director John Kirby said Friday that negotiations were at an impasse. Egypt, together with the USA, now wants to persuade the parties to the conflict to be more willing to compromise.

Israel: South Africa acts as the legal wing of Hamas

The Israeli government, meanwhile, called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to reject South Africa’s renewed urgent application to prevent genocide against Palestinians. South Africa acts as the legal arm of Hamas, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein wrote on Among other things, Israel should immediately withdraw from Rafah.