Israel’s army now in charge of whole Gaza land border | EUROtoday

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Israel has mentioned it’s now in efficient management of Gaza’s whole land border, having taken over key a buffer zone alongside the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

The Israeli army has additionally continued lethal raids on Rafah in southern Gaza regardless of an order from the UN’s high court docket, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to finish assaults on town, the place half of Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals had beforehand taken refuge.

In a televised briefing, chief army spokesperson Daniel Hagari mentioned Israeli forces had gained “operational” management over the “Philadelphi Corridor”, utilizing the Israeli army’s code identify for the 14 km-long (9 mile) hall alongside the Gaza Strip’s solely border with Egypt.

“The Philadelphi Corridor served as an oxygen line for Hamas, which it regularly used to smuggle weapons into the area of the Gaza Strip,” Mr Hagari mentioned. Hamas is the armed Palestinian group that governs the blockaded territory.

Mr Hagari didn’t spell out what “operational” management referred to however an Israeli army official earlier mentioned there have been Israeli “boots on the ground” alongside elements of the hall.

The border with Egypt alongside the southern edge was the Gaza Strip’s solely land border that Israel had not managed straight.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel despatched tanks on raids into Rafah. They had moved into the guts of Rafah for the primary time on Tuesday regardless of an order from the highest United Nations court docket to instantly halt the assault on town.

The ICJ mentioned Israel had not defined how it might hold evacuees from Rafah protected and supply meals, water and medication. Its ruling additionally known as on Hamas to instantly and unconditionally launch hostages taken in the course of the Hamas assault on 7 October. That assault, throughout which round 1,200 individuals had been killed and 250 taken hostage into Gaza, triggered an Israeli offensive that has killed greater than 36,000 Palestinians, in response to well being officers within the Hamas-run strip.

Rafah residents mentioned Israeli tanks had pushed into Tel al-Sultan within the west and Yibna and close to Shaboura within the centre earlier than retreating in direction of a buffer zone on the border with Egypt, quite than staying put as they’ve in different offensives.

“We received distress calls from residents in Tel Al-Sultan where drones targeted displaced citizens as they moved from areas where they were staying toward the safe areas,” the deputy director of ambulance and emergency companies in Rafah, Haitham al Hams, mentioned.

Palestinian well being officers mentioned 19 civilians had been killed in Israeli airstrikes and shelling throughout Gaza on Wednesday. Israel accuses Hamas militants of hiding amongst civilians, one thing Gaza’s ruling Islamist group denies.

Fighting in Gaza will proceed all through 2024 not less than, Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi mentioned, signalling Israel was not prepared to finish the battle as Hamas has demanded as a part of a deal to change its hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

“The fighting in Rafah is not a pointless war,” Mr Hanegbi mentioned, reiterating that Israel aimed to finish Hamas rule in Gaza and cease it and its allies attacking Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned Israel wanted to craft a post-war plan for Gaza or threat lawlessness, chaos and a Hamas comeback within the enclave. Washington, Israel’s closest ally, reiterated its opposition to a significant floor offensive in Rafah on Tuesday whereas saying it didn’t imagine such an operation was beneath manner.

There was no phrase on Wednesday on developments within the ceasefire and hostage launch talks. Hamas has mentioned talks are pointless except Israel ends its offensive on Rafah.

The Israeli army mentioned three Israeli troopers had been killed and three badly wounded. Public broadcaster Kan radio mentioned an explosive system had been set off in a Rafah constructing.

Palestinian well being officers mentioned a number of individuals had been wounded by Israeli fireplace and shops of help had been set ablaze in japanese Rafah, the place residents mentioned Israeli bombardment had destroyed many houses in an space Israel has ordered evacuated.

Around one million Palestinians who had taken shelter in Rafah on the southern finish of the Gaza Strip have now fled after Israeli orders to evacuate, the UN company for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported on Tuesday.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) mentioned it had evacuated its medical groups from its subject hospital within the al-Mawasi space, a chosen civilian evacuation zone, due to continued bombardments.

PRCS mentioned two of its employees had been killed when an ambulance was struck whereas on a mission to rescue individuals in Rafah. In one other Israeli air strike on a home in Gaza City, medics mentioned 5 different Palestinians had been killed.

In the close by metropolis of Khan Younis, an Israeli air strike killed three individuals in a single day, together with Salama Baraka, a former senior Hamas police officer, medics and Hamas media mentioned. Another killed 4 individuals, together with two kids, medics mentioned.

In northern Gaza, Israeli forces shelled Gaza City neighbourhoods and moved deeper into Jabalia, the place residents mentioned massive residential districts had been destroyed.

Malnutrition has turn into widespread in Gaza as help deliveries have slowed to a trickle. The U.N., which has warned of famine, mentioned on Wednesday the quantity of humanitarian help coming into the enclave has dropped by two-thirds since Israel started its assault on the Rafah area this month.

Reuters