Israeli tanks surround east Rafah

On the evening of May 10, Israel's war cabinet approved a "moderate expansion" of the country's military operations in Rafah City.

Israeli tanks gather near the border area between Israel and the Gaza Strip on May 9. Photo: REUTERS

Reuters reported on May 10 that Israeli tanks occupied the main road dividing the eastern and western halves of Rafah City, surrounding the entire eastern side of the city in the southern Gaza Strip.

Fierce fighting

Residents in the area reported hearing near-constant gunfire and explosions during fierce clashes between Israeli troops and Hamas and Islamic Jihad forces east and northeast of Rafah. Hamas said it ambushed an Israeli tank near a mosque east of Rafah, an indication that Israeli troops had penetrated several kilometers east of the city to the outskirts of Rafah.

Earlier, Israel ordered residents to leave the eastern part of Rafah, forcing tens of thousands to seek shelter outside. The Israeli government has always maintained that it cannot win the war with Hamas without taking down the group's last stronghold in Rafah. The Israeli army said it had identified several tunnels in the eastern part of Rafah and engaged Hamas with air cover, killing several Hamas fighters. Meanwhile, Hamas vowed to fight to the end.

“More and more people are leaving Rafah,” said Abu Hassan, 50, a resident of Tel al-Sultan, west of Rafah. “The Israeli army is targeting the whole city, not just the east, with tanks and airstrikes.”

Negotiation failed

Delegations from Hamas and Israel left Cairo on May 9 after two days of ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip without reaching an agreement, Al-Qahera News reported, citing a senior Egyptian source. The talks resumed on May 7 with the full participation of all five delegations, amid a dangerous escalation of the Gaza conflict.

Israel is facing growing international pressure to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. The Gaza conflict, which has lasted more than seven months, has claimed the lives of 34,904 Palestinians and injured 78,514. The conflict has also caused severe damage to Gaza’s infrastructure and displaced the majority of the Mediterranean strip’s population.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Jordanian Prime Minister and Defense Minister Bisher Khasawneh called on the international community to promote an immediate and lasting ceasefire, as well as to recognize an independent and sovereign Palestinian State based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. According to Egypt, this recognition will bring justice and achieve security and stability in the region, opening up development prospects for all peoples in the region.

Meanwhile, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby quoted US President Joe Biden as saying that Israel's large-scale military operation in Rafah will not advance the goal of defeating Hamas in the Gaza Strip. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller warned that the operation in Rafah will weaken Israel's position in hostage negotiations with Hamas.

Following President Joe Biden's announcement that the US would suspend the supply of certain weapons to Israel if it attacked Rafah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that the country is ready to act independently if necessary.

MINH CHAU synthesis

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/xe-tang-israel-bao-vay-phia-dong-rafah-post739319.html