Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have evacuated Rafah, marking one of the largest mass displacements of the conflict.
The mass departure occurred as Israeli forces moved deeper into the city’s ruins, aiming to establish a “security zone” that they plan to control.
After announcing their intention to capture extensive areas of Gaza, the military advanced into Rafah, which had served as a sanctuary for those escaping other regions throughout much of the war.
The Gaza health ministry reported a minimum of 97 fatalities due to Israeli airstrikes over the last 24 hours, with at least 20 casualties resulting from a morning attack on Shejaia, a suburb of Gaza City.
Spokesman Mahmud Bassal mentioned that more than 100 individuals sustained injuries in the attack, and six persons are currently unaccounted for.
“Among the missing is a pregnant woman who was expecting twins,” he stated.
The Israeli military asserted that they targeted a “Hamas command and control center in the area of Gaza City.”
This center “was utilized by the terrorists to orchestrate and carry out assaults against Israeli civilians and IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) troops,” as indicated in their statement.
The military could not confirm whether the strike impacted the school.
Hamas condemned the assault, accusing the Israeli government of persistently targeting innocent civilians as part of the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
In another incident, at least 31 Palestinians lost their lives in an Israeli attack on a school in Gaza City.
Rafah “is finished; it is being obliterated,” stated a father of seven among the countless individuals who have fled to neighboring Khan Younis.
“They are demolishing what little is left of houses and property,” said the man, who chose to remain anonymous due to safety concerns.
The operation to seize Rafah represents a significant escalation in the conflict, which Israel reignited last month after effectively ending a ceasefire that had been in place since January.
Residents reported that most of the population complied with Israel’s evacuation order from Rafah, but a strike on the main road connecting Rafah and Khan Younis hindered most movement between the two areas.
Traffic along the western coastal road near Morag was also restricted due to bombardment.
“Some residents stayed behind because they are unsure of where to go or have become weary of being displaced repeatedly.
“We fear they might be killed or, at best, detained,” expressed Basem, a Rafah resident.
Many Gazans are anxious about a potential permanent depopulation.
Israel has not clarified its long-term objectives for the security zone it is establishing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that troops are seizing an area he referred to as the “Morag Axis,” named after an abandoned former Israeli settlement situated between Rafah and Khan Younis.
Gazans who had returned to their devastated homes during the truce have been ordered to evacuate communities on both the northern and southern fringes of the enclave.
They worry that Israel’s aim is to permanently depopulate these regions, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless while the country claims some of Gaza’s last agricultural land and vital water infrastructure.
Since the expiration of the first phase of the ceasefire at the beginning of last month, with no agreement for an extension, Israel has enforced a blockade on all goods destined for the territory’s 2.3 million residents, leading to what international organizations have described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
Civil defense teams are present at the scene of the school attack in Gaza City.
Israel’s military has announced it is investigating the deaths of 15 Palestinian aid workers whose bodies were discovered in a shallow grave last month near Red Crescent vehicles.
Israel has maintained that its primary objective since the war’s inception has been the dismantling of Hamas, which has governed Gaza for nearly two decades.
However, with no initiatives to establish an alternative governing body, Hamas regained control during the ceasefire.
Fighters still hold 59 hostages, both deceased and alive, whom Israel insists must be released for the temporary extension of the truce.
Hamas stated it would only release the hostages through an agreement that conclusively ends the conflict.
Israeli leaders have expressed encouragement by indications of protests in Gaza against the militant group.
Hamas dismissed the demonstrators as collaborators and alleged that Israel orchestrated the actions.
The conflict began with a Hamas assault on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, during which gunmen killed 1,200 individuals and seized over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
According to Gaza health authorities, Israel’s campaign has resulted in more than 50,000 Palestinian deaths.
Israeli air strikes in Syria
Israeli aircraft conducted two attacks on military targets near the Syrian capital of Damascus, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“Israeli warplanes executed air strikes on military positions and installations” in the vicinity of Al-Kiswah and Al-Muqaylibah, with no casualties reported, according to the monitoring organization.
The assaults occurred just hours after similar Israeli strikes on military objectives and a ground incursion resulted in 13 fatalities.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the army will maintain a presence in buffer zones within Syria.
