The Israeli army has expanded its operation in Rafah, attempting to gain full control of the city, after more than six weeks of attacks in the border city, which is currently seen as the last stronghold of Hamas. An Israeli army spokesperson stated that the 162nd division continues to engage in close combat in the Rafah area, while units from the Givati and Nahal brigades are raiding tunnels and buildings, conducting "targeted operations based on intelligence" in the region.
Field sources and residents in Rafah confirmed that the occupation forces have already established control over the city center following weeks of fighting in the central, eastern, and southern parts, and are currently advancing further west and north. The sources added that the expansion of Israeli operations has resulted in violent clashes amid reciprocal attacks, leading to another wave of displacement.
Residents in the area reported that the Israelis appear to be attempting to complete their control of Rafah and noted that the pace of Israeli airstrikes has accelerated in the past two days. Tanks are making their way into the western and northern parts of the city after already seizing the eastern, southern, and central areas, while Israeli forces have been firing from aircraft, tanks, and vessels off the coast, resulting in a new wave of displacement from a city that housed over a million displaced people, most of whom have been forced to flee again.
Ahmad al-Sufi, the mayor of Rafah, stated in a report that the entire city of Rafah is a zone of Israeli military operations. He added that "the city is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe, and people are dying in their tents due to Israeli bombardment." He pointed out that the city is devoid of medical facilities, explaining that the remaining residents and displaced families are lacking the minimum of their daily needs for food and water.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported on Friday that 18 people were killed and 35 injured due to Israeli forces targeting displacement tents in the Muwasi area of the southern sector. Health officials also announced at least 32 Palestinians killed in separate Israeli attacks in Gaza that day.
### Efforts to End the Fighting
The expansion of the army's operation in Rafah comes in an effort to conclude the mission there as quickly as possible, as part of their plan to end the current form of fighting in Gaza, a step rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Friday that the Israeli army wishes to announce the end of the war after the Rafah operation, aiming to shift focus to the escalating conflict in the north, which Netanyahu opposes.
According to military analyst Amos Harel from Haaretz, the army, as part of its strategy to change the nature of the war in Gaza, will ask Netanyahu to achieve "strategic clarity" which requires transitioning to focused operations in Gaza, allowing for other steps such as reactivating negotiations for a ceasefire and an exchange deal.
The army also seeks to revitalize its forces and prepare for a potential comprehensive war in Lebanon if political mediation fails, which would mean a multi-front war. However, this plan does not sit well with Netanyahu, who thinks differently and wants the war to continue.
Netanyahu aims to prolong the war in a bid to remain in power, hoping that Donald Trump will return to the White House in the upcoming elections in five months. He believes that ending the war now would mean failing to achieve the goals he has long asserted, which could lead to the dismantling of his government.
The conflict between Netanyahu and the army regarding the war and its objectives is not new. Among other things, the army plans to showcase its accomplishments in Gaza to the Israeli public in an effort to convince them that it has succeeded in defeating Hamas and that the war can be halted.
