US approves Israeli military blueprint for Rafah operation
The Arabic-language service Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports that the USA has approved an Israeli military operation plan in Rafah. In return, Israel is to refrain from carrying out a significant retaliatory attack on Iran.
"The Israeli plan involves moving by dividing Rafah into numbered squares, with the intention of attacking one square after another. This strategy is designed to prompt people in each targeted square to evacuate, primarily towards Khan Yunis and the Al Mawasi area," reports Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, a pan-Arab news service based in London and owned by the Qatari company Fadaat Media. At this juncture, the service cites an anonymous Egyptian source.
Egyptian authorities are already preparing for the Israeli operation: "The capacity of camps in Khan Yunis managed by the Egyptian Red Crescent has been increased, as well as the amount of aid reaching them."
Israel claims that Hamas militants are hiding there
The Times of Israel recalled on Thursday that, according to the Israeli army's assessment, there are four battalions of Hamas militants in Rafah, a city located in the Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt. It is also believed that Rafah harbors leaders of the Palestinian terrorist organization and that hostages kidnapped from Israel in October are being held in the city. Despite these concerns, it is important to note that Rafah and its surroundings are a refuge for over a million residents of the Gaza Strip's northern territories.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly discussed plans for a military operation in Rafah. He stated it had already been approved and even announced that a start date for the operation had been determined.
World leaders are expressing concerns about the potential execution of this military operation. They are particularly worried about civilian casualties that could result from an extensive operation targeting Hamas and smaller allied terrorist organizations, as well as the possibility of escalating conflict in the Middle East. This escalation could be a reaction to Israel's response to a large-scale aerial attack carried out by Iran last Saturday.
