Any operation by Israeli forces in Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, would “threaten” negotiations for the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a Hamas official warned yesterday, while the arm armed of the organization, the Izzidin al-Qassam brigades, claimed that in the Israeli bombardments of the last three days, two hostages had died and eight were seriously injured.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, responded in an interview that there are still “quite a few” hostages -132- in the possession of Hamas that justify continuing the offensive to free them, as well as to recover the bodies of the dead.
“Any attack by the (Israeli) occupation army on the city of Rafah would threaten the negotiations” on the hostages still in Gaza, the aforementioned Hamas official told the AFP agency. According to him, Netanyahu is “trying to free himself” from the negotiations “by committing genocide and a new catastrophe in Rafah”. What the prime minister and the army “have not achieved in more than four months, they will not do no matter how long the war lasts”, said this source.
The Israeli prime minister ordered a few days ago to prepare an offensive on Rafah, located on the closed border with Egypt, where there are approximately one and a half million Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are displaced people. Outside, several countries have warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” if there is an assault on the city. Joe Biden himself warned Netanyahu yesterday that Israel should not start an operation in Rafah without a plan to ensure the protection of the million people who are refugees there. Biden’s warning comes days after asserting that Israel’s response to Gaza was “exaggerated.”
Negotiations have been underway for weeks for a truce, including a ceasefire of at least six weeks and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
UNRWA, the main UN agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza, is facing increasing obstacles from Israel. A shipment of 1,049 containers equivalent to the food supply for 1.1 million people for a month is blocked in the port of Aix-dod, said the head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported yesterday that the Al-Amal hospital, in Khan Iunis, has lost the last ambulance that was operational in the medical center after an Israeli attack, which broke into the hospital three days ago , where thousands of people took refuge, who were forced to evacuate it. “The occupation attacked the main gate of Al-Amal hospital, causing damage to the building and putting one of the Palestinian Red Crescent vehicles out of service. This vehicle was the only option available after the occupation made all other vehicles unusable,” wrote the Mitja Luna in a statement on the X social network.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 123 ambulances have been destroyed by the Israeli army since October 7. In addition, 130 health institutions have been partially or totally damaged by Israeli attacks, which have forced 30 hospitals and 53 health centers to be out of service. The ministry has also reported the death of 340 doctors and the arrest of 99.
