Israel cuts all supplies to Rafah and gets ability to expel a million «Terrorist» refugees into Sinai desert.
from thefreeonline on May 9 ’24 by Dave DeCamp, at Antiwar.com
Israeli tanks and soldiers took the border crossing as Israeli strikes pounded the city of Rafah, killing at least 23 Palestinians, including five women and six children.
Biden Gave Netanyahu the Green Light To Capture Rafah Crossing
Axios and Kirby say Biden » not opposed» to attack and discussed plan with Netanyahu on Monday
President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Israel’s plans to capture the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza before the Israeli military launched the operation, Axios reported on Tuesday.
« US reiterates “ironclad” support to Israel as Netanyahu launches assault on Rafah
The report said that the operation didn’t cross Biden’s “red line,” although it’s unclear if the US has actually set red lines for Israel. US officials have said they’re opposed to a “major operation” in Rafah since it would incur huge civilian casualties.
But the capturing of the border crossing will have a devastating impact on civilians since it cut off vital aid deliveries, and it’s unclear when or if they will resume.
Israel launches great Rafah massacre-rejects Ceasefire and seizes key Gaza border crossing
A senior Israeli official told Axios that during the call with Netanyahu, Biden didn’t “didn’t pull the hand break on the capture of the Rafah crossing during the call.” Two US officials said Biden didn’t view the current Israeli operations as a “breaking point” in relations.
On Tuesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the US was not opposed to the operation.
“We’ve been very consistent about our concerns of a major ground operation in Gaza that would put at great risk the refugees that are still there, and nothing’s changed about that,” Kirby said. “The Israelis have told us … that that’s not what this is.” …..That’s Ok then…
He said that Israel assured the US that the operation was “of limited scope, scale, and duration, and aimed at cutting off Hamas’ ability to ship arms across the Rafah border.”
Israeli tanks and soldiers took the border crossing as Israeli strikes pounded the city of Rafah, killing at least 23 Palestinians, including five women and six children.
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About 1.4 million Palestinians, displaced several times, have sought shelter in the city of Rafah that borders Egypt.
The Israeli military has launched air raids on Rafah in southern Gaza after warning of an imminent ground offensive in the border city where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians have sought shelter since fleeing attacks across the enclave.
More than four months of relentless attacks by land, air and sea have flattened much of the Gaza Strip, pushing its population of 2.3 million to the brink of famine, according to the United Nations.
International concern has in recent weeks centred on Rafah, where a ground invasion could displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians across the frontier with Egypt.
The last city untouched by Israeli ground troops, Rafah also serves as the main entry point of humanitarian aid via neighbouring Egypt for desperately needed relief supplies.
Israel has warned it will expand its ground operations into Rafah if Palestinian armed group Hamas does not free the remaining captives held in Gaza by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Thursday that 99 people had been killed across the strip overnight, most of them women, children and elderly people.
The death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza has increased to 29,410 since October 7, the ministry said, adding that at least 69,465 people have been wounded.
Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, was expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday – his second stop in the region after Egypt as part of efforts by the United States to advance a deal that would see the captives exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and to broker a truce.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson of the US Department of State, said Washington was hoping for an “agreement that secures a temporary ceasefire where we can get the hostages out and get humanitarian assistance”, but declined to give details on the ongoing negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted the army will keep fighting until it has destroyed Hamas and freed the remaining captives.
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Der Friedensstifter 