Mapped: Where is Rafah, town Israel is ready to invade? | EUROtoday

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Israel has vowed to press on with a floor invasion into Rafah, Gaza, amid warnings the nation would face “serious repercussions” for the offensive.

Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli navy to evacuate civilians from town, which is dwelling to 1.5million Palestinians, forward of the invasion.

It comes as the realm was hit by airstrikes in a single day, with as much as 67 Palestinians killed and at two Israeli hostages rescued, based on the Gazan well being ministry.

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Saudi Arabia known as for an instantaneous ceasefire and warned Israel would face severe penalties for the “storming and targeting” of town.

But the place is Rafah, and why is Israel focusing on town now? The Independent has put collectively solutions and a map beneath.

Where is Rafah?

Rafah is a metropolis within the south of Gaza close to the border of Egypt. When Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982, now a part of Egypt, it was cut up right into a Gazan and Egyptian half.

It was initially a protected haven for folks fleeing northern Gaza within the early phases of the newest Israel-Gaza battle, when Palestinians had been ordered to evacuate forward of heavy Israeli bombardment.

But town is now dwelling to round 1.3million folks – greater than half of Gaza’s inhabitants – and Mr Netanyahu has ordered a floor invasion of the realm, the place he believes Hamas operatives are hiding.

Most residents of Rafah live in short-term constructions akin to tents and help organisations have warned of a dire humanitarian state of affairs.

Why is Israel focusing on Rafah now?

The Israeli navy believes Rafah is the final outpost of Hamas operatives in the complete Gaza strip, with “four Hamas battalions” hiding there.

Israeli authorities spokesman Eylon Levy stated in response to criticism: “The United Nations and international actors now face a fateful choice. Do they want to save Hamas or save Palestinian civilians?” added Levy.

“They cannot stop Israel from dismantling the last four Hamas battalions in the Gaza Strip and securing the release of 134 remaining hostages.”

Israeli navy spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht stated the operation in Rafah was very “complex”, including: “We have been working a long time on this operation. We were waiting for the right conditions.”

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, one other IDF spokesperson, known as it “a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on highly sensitive and valuable intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate and the Israel Security Agency”.