Israel Says More Troops To 'enter Rafah' As Operations Intensify
Sumaira FH Published May 16, 2024 | 06:56 PM
Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that more troops would "enter Rafah" as military operations intensify in Gaza's far-southern city, in remarks issued by his office Thursday
Jerusalem, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th May, 2024) Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that more troops would "enter Rafah" as military operations intensify in Gaza's far-southern city, in remarks issued by his office Thursday.
The operation "will continue as additional forces will enter" the Rafah area, Gallant said, adding that "several tunnels in the area have been destroyed by our troops... this activity will intensify".
"Hundreds of [terror] targets have already been struck, and our forces are manoeuvring in the area," he said according to a statement released by his office after he visited Rafah the previous day.
Israeli forces took control earlier in May of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, in a push launched in defiance of US warnings that around 1.4 million civilians sheltering there could be caught in the crossfire.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said "600,000 people have fled Rafah since military operations intensified" in Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to launch a full-scale ground operation in Rafah in a bid to dismantle the remaining battalions of Hamas.
Gallant said that the military's offensive against Hamas had hit the militant group hard.
"Hamas is not an organisation that can reorganise, it does not have reserve troops, it has no supply stocks and no ability to treat the terrorists that we target," he said.
"The result is that we are wearing Hamas down."
However, Israel's top ally the United States has warned that it had not seen any credible Israeli plan to protect civilians in Rafah.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC on Sunday that "Israel's on the trajectory, potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left or, if it leaves, a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy and probably refilled by Hamas".
mca-jd/fz
Related Topics
Recent Stories
FBR exceeds revenue target, collects Rs.760 billion in May
Tarar extends congratulations to CPNE's newly elected office bearers
Transparent examinations a hallmark of Gwadar University:VC
Brother shot dead sister over domestic dispute in Mansehra
Japan's 'Rebuilding Together' project revitalizes healthcare infrastructure in P ..
PM felicitates CPNE's newly-elected office-bearers
Tennis: French Open results - 1st update
Stock markets wobble as US inflation unchanged
S.African soldier killed, 13 wounded fighting DR Congo rebels
Trump calls NY criminal trial 'very unfair'
Zuma's new party emerges the big winner in South Africa vote
UK Labour pitches new energy policy in election battle
More Stories From World
-
RugbyU: English Premiership result
6 hours ago -
Irish trainer Weld rolls back the years in Epsom Oaks
6 hours ago -
Ratings agency S&P downgrades French credit score
6 hours ago -
Bagnaia's perfect Italian MotoGP practice hit by grid penalty
7 hours ago -
Cricket in uncharted territory as T20 World Cup starts in Texas
7 hours ago -
Ukrainian attacks in Russian-held east kill five
7 hours ago
-
Underdogs Dortmund have 'total belief' against Real Madrid
7 hours ago -
Pandemic agreement talks could continue for another year
7 hours ago -
UN warns of starvation among children in war-torn Gaza amid dwindling aid deliveries
7 hours ago -
Pakistani brigadier assumes acting command of UN force in disputed African region of Abyei
8 hours ago -
S.African soldier killed, 13 wounded fighting DR Congo rebels
9 hours ago -
Trump calls NY criminal trial 'very unfair'
9 hours ago