Israeli Tanks Advance Deep into Rafah

Israeli tanks continued their advance in Rafah on Wednesday, reaching close to one of the densely populated areas in the center of the city. At the same time, reports indicate that Rafah has witnessed the most intense bombardments in the past month. Israel's invasion of southern Gaza has caused hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had sought refuge in Rafah to consider fleeing the city as well. These attacks have also disrupted aid routes to the people of Gaza, exacerbating concerns about casualties and widespread famine in the region. Israel claims that it has no choice but to attack Rafah to eradicate the extremist group Hamas, which the United States and many other countries consider terrorist, and thus Israeli forces have been advancing towards the eastern outskirts of Rafah since the beginning of this month despite international opposition. Residents of Rafah report that on Wednesday, Israeli tanks moved westward and captured new positions along the southern borders of Gaza with Egypt, now stationed near the Yebna neighborhood in central Rafah. Reports describe the clashes in Rafah as very intense, preventing Israeli tanks from entering the Yebna neighborhood. The military wing of Hamas announced that it targeted two Israeli army armored personnel carriers near the border fence with its anti-tank rockets. According to Palestinians residing in Rafah, Israeli drones have bombed the Yebna neighborhood and targeted fishing boats on the Rafah coast during their nighttime attacks. The Israeli army did not comment on the invasion of Rafah on Wednesday, only stating that its forces had eliminated several Palestinian militants in Khan Younis, located north of Rafah. UNRWA, the United Nations agency in Gaza, estimated on Monday that since the beginning of this month, when the Israeli army began its invasion of Rafah, more than 800,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah. The United States has opposed Israel's ground attack on Rafah and warned of increasing civilian casualties among Palestinians. Prior to Israel's new operation, about 1.4 million Palestinians had sought refuge in Rafah.