Despite international and UN warnings against invading the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, and amidst confirmation from the United Nations that there are no safe places in the entire area for displaced persons from Rafah, Israel demanded the evacuation of more neighborhoods in the city. On Saturday, the Israeli military issued what it described as a serious warning, urging residents and displaced persons in the Rafah and Al-Shaburah camps, along with the neighborhoods of Al-Adari, Al-Jinena, and Khirbat Al-Adas in Blocks 6, 7, 8, 9, 17, 25, 26, 27, and 31 to evacuate immediately, labeling them as "dangerous combat areas."
This development has raised alarms and prompted the United States to intervene once again to halt the operation. Four informed sources reported that Washington offered Tel Aviv sensitive intelligence information to assist in locating Hamas leaders and finding the tunnels, in exchange for backing down from a large-scale invasion of Rafah, according to the Washington Post.
The report stated that U.S. assistance would include providing sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli army identify the locations of Hamas leaders and uncover the hidden tunnels of the movement. It also revealed that the assistance would provide thousands of shelters so that Israel could build tent cities and aid in establishing food, water, and medical supply systems. The newspaper added that this assistance aims to enable displaced Palestinians from Rafah to find a livable place, as U.S. officials indicated.
Furthermore, the report clarified that the American offers came during negotiations that took place over the past weeks between senior U.S. and Israeli officials regarding the scale and scope of operations in Rafah. These developments followed reports yesterday that the Israeli security cabinet decided to "expand its military operations in Rafah, in a limited manner," without exceeding the red lines set by the United States earlier.
Israel has pledged to enter Rafah "with overwhelming force," and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a series of steps this week that raised concerns in the White House about the possibility of carrying out the long-anticipated invasion. Over 110,000 Palestinians have fled the overcrowded city since last Monday. It should be noted that the issue of invading Gaza, which Israel insists upon to "defeat Hamas," according to its belief, has significantly strained relations with the administration of President Joe Biden.
