Iraqi armed factions announced on the night of Monday to Tuesday that they targeted Eilat in southern Israel with two drones. The factions, which refer to themselves as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, stated that the attack was in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
In the context of the war on Gaza, two American officials told CNN that Israel has amassed forces on the outskirts of Rafah sufficient for a comprehensive incursion in the coming days. However, it remains uncertain whether Israel has made a final decision to launch a full-scale attack on Rafah, as this would represent a direct challenge to the Biden administration.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency reported that 360,000 Palestinians fled Rafah over the past week, among 1.3 million who had sought refuge there before the operation began, most having already fled from fighting elsewhere during the ongoing seven-month war between Israel and Hamas.
Over the past week, the Israeli military intensified its bombing and other operations in Rafah, while residents were ordered to evacuate parts of the city. For its part, the U.S. State Department stated that Secretary Antony Blinken confirmed in a call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry that the United States does not support any large-scale ground military operations in Rafah, and reiterated the U.S. rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
The two ministers discussed measures aimed at expanding humanitarian aid access to Gaza, reopening the Rafah border crossing, and maximizing the use of the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Additionally, the Times of Israel reported on Tuesday that the Israeli military stated that a UN employee was killed in Rafah, southern Gaza, and another was injured while they were in an active combat area. The circumstances surrounding the death of the employee and the injury of the second are under investigation.
