The Israeli army vowed on Thursday to continue the military operation it is carrying out in Rafah. An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the operation is taking place in Rafah because Hamas is located there and is holding several Israelis. The Israeli military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, mentioned that the army has successfully gained military control over the Philadelphi Corridor, which borders Gaza and Egypt, and affirmed the continuation of the current operation in Rafah despite international and regional objections.
Hagari noted that the operation initiated by the Israeli army in Rafah on May 7 is occurring because the Palestinian group Hamas, which has been at war with Israel for about eight months, is present there. He stated, “Hamas is in Rafah,” indicating that they are holding hostages in Rafah, and added that Israel will not stop fighting in Rafah until the hostages are freed.
The Israeli army commenced its incursion into Rafah despite objections from the U.S. administration and European countries regarding the expansion of the operation due to concerns over the potential deaths of many Palestinian civilians. However, Hagari asserted that the operation “is based on accurate intelligence.” He added, “We are using precise ammunition. We aim to dismantle Hamas in Rafah.”
The Israeli military spokesman accused Hamas of turning the Philadelphi Corridor into “a haven for terrorism.” He also stated that his forces discovered dozens of rocket launch platforms aimed at Israel near the border with Egypt. It has not been immediately possible to verify the Israeli spokesman's claims, who also mentioned that the army has killed about 300 Hamas militants in Rafah.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health in the Hamas government reported 75 deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the total death toll in Gaza since the outbreak of the war to 36,171, most of whom are civilians. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,186 people, the majority of whom were civilians, according to a count based on official Israeli data.
