Intensification of Israeli Attacks on Rafah Following Ceasefire Negotiations Halt in Egypt

On Friday, May 21, Israel bombarded various locations in the Gaza Strip, including the city of Rafah, after ceasefire negotiations in Egypt were halted. According to AFP, the Israeli army attacked Rafah with artillery. The Israeli army also announced that its air defense intercepted projectiles fired from the Rafah area. However, it seems that the Israeli army's operations to fully capture Rafah have been halted due to U.S. opposition to this action and Washington's threat to stop arms shipments to Israel. At the same time, reports of clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas militants in northern Gaza, which Israel had claimed to have cleared months ago, have emerged. Qatar has requested a halt to the attacks on Rafah, while Israel has opened the Kerem Shalom crossing. The extremist group Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union. Reuters also reports that Israeli tanks have captured the road dividing Rafah into eastern and western sections, effectively besieging the eastern part of the city. Residents of Rafah reported continuous gunfire and explosions in the eastern and northeastern parts of the city on Friday. These areas are said to be the focal points of intense clashes between the Israeli army and members of the extremist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hamas announced that it ambushed Israeli tanks in eastern Rafah, indicating that the Israeli army has advanced several kilometers into the urban fabric of Rafah from the east. The Israeli army added that during close combat with Palestinian militants, supported by airstrikes, it killed several Palestinian militants and identified several tunnels in these areas. Hamas also stated in a statement that it targeted the location of an armored personnel carrier and a group of Israeli soldiers in a complex attack. Due to the wartime situation in the area and the lack of access for news agencies, neither side's claims can be independently verified. Meanwhile, a UN official stated that due to the severe clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian militants in Rafah, a vital crossing on the outskirts of the city for aid transfer is inaccessible, and over a hundred thousand refugees have fled the city to the north. According to the spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, the closure of the Rafah crossing at the border with Egypt has cut off the main route for aid transfer to the Gaza Strip. Based on assessments by this agency, more than 1.4 million displaced persons who fled from attacks in previous months to other parts of the strip are now living in Rafah and its surroundings, which the Israeli army had declared a 'safe zone.' Many families fleeing Rafah have moved to Khan Younis or Deir al-Balah in the central parts of the Gaza Strip. UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, wrote in a message on social media platform 'X': 'As the bombardment and shelling of Rafah by Israel intensifies, the forced displacement of people continues. We estimate that by noon on Friday, about 110,000 people have left Rafah in search of safety, but there is no safe place in the Gaza Strip, and living conditions are dire and ruthless.' The Israeli army has ordered residents of eastern Rafah to leave the city. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, warned that Israel's ground attack on Rafah could lead to a 'widespread and historic humanitarian disaster' and halt all humanitarian efforts to prevent famine. Mr. Guterres, speaking after the latest round of ceasefire negotiations ended without results, added: 'The situation in Rafah is on a knife's edge. We are in dialogue with all parties involved to facilitate the transfer of vital aid, including fuel, through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.' The UN Secretary-General reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire between the conflicting parties.