Israeli forces have bombed areas within the southern border city of Rafah, the place greater than half of Gaza's internally displaced inhabitants is taking refuge, as the USA warned {that a} army push into the city might be a ” catastrophe”.
Support companies have warned of a humanitarian disaster if Israel follows by on its risk to enter Rafah, the place individuals are determined for shelter and one of many final remaining areas of the Gaza Strip the place its troops they didn't transfer.
“To do such an operation now with no planning and little thought in an space” the place one million individuals are taking refuge “can be a catastrophe,” State Division deputy spokesman Vedant Patel mentioned Thursday.
He mentioned Washington had “but to see any proof of great planning for such an operation”.
Earlier, UN Secretary Basic Antonio Guterres warned that greater than one million civilians have been trapped within the metropolis in southern Gaza.
“Half of the inhabitants of Gaza is now piled up in Rafah. They’ve nowhere to go,” he mentioned.
Palestinians in Gaza are desperately hoping {that a} ceasefire might arrive in time to stave off the threatened Israeli assault on Rafah, arduous towards Gaza's southern border fence and now residence to greater than one million individuals, lots of them in makeshift tents.
Israeli planes bombed elements of the town early Thursday, residents mentioned, killing at the very least 14 individuals in assaults on two homes. Tanks additionally shelled some areas in japanese Rafah, intensifying residents' fears of an imminent floor assault.
Diplomatic efforts
The warnings got here as diplomats sought to salvage ceasefire talks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Hamas proposal.
In an indication that diplomacy was not over, a Hamas delegation led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in Cairo on Thursday for ceasefire talks with key mediators Egypt and Qatar.
Netanyahu mentioned Wednesday that Hamas' proposed phrases for a ceasefire have been “delusional,” and vowed to combat on, saying victory was inside attain and months away.
Regardless of Israel's rejection of Hamas' proposal, additional talks are anticipated. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with mediators this week on his fifth journey to the area because the begin of the warfare, mentioned he nonetheless noticed room for negotiations.
Blinken additionally mentioned that the variety of civilian deaths was too excessive and rejected that Israel's operation ought to put civilians first.
“And that is very true within the case of Rafah, the place there are between 1.2 and 1.4 million individuals, lots of them displaced from different elements of Gaza,” he mentioned.
He mentioned he had steered some methods to attenuate the injury in discussions with Israeli leaders, however gave no particulars. Blinken left to return to the USA on Thursday afternoon.
The delegation of Hamas in Egypt is predicted to fulfill officers, together with the pinnacle of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel, Egyptian safety sources mentioned.
Hamas proposed a 4 and a half month ceasefire, throughout which all hostages can be free, Israel would withdraw its troops and an settlement can be reached on the tip of the Israeli offensive. Their provide was a response to a proposal drawn up by US and Israeli spy chiefs together with Qatar and Egypt, and delivered to Hamas final week.
Hamas says it is not going to settle for any settlement that doesn’t embody an finish to the Israeli offensive and withdrawal. Israel says it is not going to withdraw or cease combating till Hamas is eradicated.
Israel launched its full-scale army offensive after Hamas fighters killed 1,139 individuals and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on October 7, in response to Israeli accounts.
The Israeli army mentioned on Thursday that over the previous day, its troops had killed greater than 20 fighters in the principle southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis, presently the positioning of a number of the most intense combating of the warfare.
Gaza's Ministry of Well being mentioned at the very least 27,840 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, and greater than 67,000 injured because the begin of the warfare.
Israeli bombardment continued in Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, killing Palestinian tv journalist Nafez Abdel-Jawwad and his son.
A minimum of 124 journalists and media representatives have been killed within the enclave up to now, Gaza's data ministry mentioned.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN's principal help company for the Palestinians, UNRWA, instructed X that the company had not been allowed to deliver meals to areas the place individuals it's about hunger.
