Israel continues to advance military operations in Rafah, despite multiple objections to the International Court of Justice | Biden |
According to CCTV News and other reports, despite repeated warnings and opposition from the international community, Israel continues to advance its military operations in the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The latest satellite images show that the Israeli ground offensive is slowly advancing from eastern Rafah to the center.
In recent months, the Israeli army has failed to make significant progress in the fight against Hamas, and its offensive has begun to shift to the southern Gaza Strip, including air strikes on Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated on the 15th that Israel will take "the actions we must take to win this war." He defended the Rafah offensive as crucial to defeating Hamas's remaining stronghold.
"Hundreds of targets have been attacked." Israeli Defense Minister Galante said after meeting with commanders in Rafah on the 15th, "This operation will continue."
At the same time, there are signs that despite the ongoing fighting in the northern and central Gaza Strip, the Israeli army is still determined to attack Rafah. Satellite images provided by the American Planetary Laboratory on May 15 showed that the Israeli ground offensive was slowly advancing from eastern Rafah to the center. Nearly a mile of land was razed north of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. The area has suffered significant damage since May 9.
Another sign is that the Israeli army has recently expanded the Rafah evacuation zone further west. Israel has issued evacuation orders for areas east of Rafah since May 6, telling residents to head north to a designated "humanitarian zone." Satellite images show that some streets in the Rafah area have become empty and many tents that once housed large numbers of refugees have disappeared.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that at least 600,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee since the Israeli army began advancing toward Rafah on May 6. An estimated 150,000 people have fled in recent days. As Israeli forces move deeper into Rafah, the number of people fleeing is expected to rise.
Meanwhile, Israel faces growing criticism over its military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Against the backdrop of difficulties in aid supplies entering the Gaza Strip, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres once again called on Israel to stop its attack on Rafah on the 16th. There are reports that no food has been able to enter the two main crossing points in the southern Gaza Strip for more than a week. The United Nations estimates that about 1.1 million Palestinians are on the verge of starvation.
On the same day, the United Nations International Court of Justice began a two-day hearing in The Hague, Netherlands, regarding South Africa's request to halt Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip. The International Court of Justice will hear oral submissions from Israeli representatives on the 17th and may make a ruling in the coming weeks.
In addition, the 33rd Arab League Summit Council meeting concluded on the afternoon of the 16th in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. After the meeting, the "Bahrain Declaration" was issued, calling on the international community to assume the responsibility of promoting the Middle East peace process and achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of the "two-state solution".
The day before, the European Union urged Israel to "immediately stop" its military operations in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, otherwise it would put "heavy pressure" on the relationship between the EU and Israel.
But at the same time, Israel's main ally, the United States, has sent contradictory signals.
On the one hand, the US government has recently suspended a batch of military aid to Israel due to Israel's military operations in Rafah.
The White House also warned Israel on the 16th that the Gaza Strip needs more humanitarian aid to flow in.
On the other hand, U.S. officials said on the 14th that the U.S. government will deliver more than $1 billion in weapons to Israel, and Congress has been notified of relevant military aid plans.
Against the backdrop of ongoing partisan disputes, the U.S. House of Representatives also voted to pass a Republican-led bill on the 16th that would force the United States to provide defensive weapons to Israel. Although President Biden and the Democratic-dominated Senate are unlikely to "match up", this situation reflects the domestic political pressure Biden faces on the situation between Palestine and Israel.
In addition, Israel insists on going its own way, but there may be a question mark as to how effective it can be in combating Hamas. Recent reports indicate that the White House and U.S. intelligence officials doubt whether Hamas can be defeated, and are worried that the expanding Israeli offensive will frustrate efforts by all parties to promote peace talks.