Israeli tanks advanced deeper into western Rafah during one of the heaviest nights of bombardment from air, ground, and sea, forcing many families to flee in the darkness, residents reported on Thursday.
Residents said Israeli forces moved towards the Al-Mawasi area of Rafah near the beach, which the Israeli army had designated as a humanitarian zone in announcements since May. However, the Israeli military denied launching any strikes within the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone.
Israel stated that its assault aimed to eliminate Hamas’ last combat units in Rafah, a city that previously housed over a million people. Most residents have since moved north towards Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza.
The military reported ongoing “intelligence-based, targeted operations” in Rafah, finding weapons and killing Palestinian gunmen in close combat.
In the past day, the military claimed to have struck 45 targets across the Gaza Strip, including military structures, militant cells, rocket launchers, and tunnel shafts. Israel has ruled out peace until Hamas is eradicated, leaving much of Gaza in ruins.
However, Hamas fighters have continued to reappear in areas previously cleared by Israeli forces.
CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL
Hamas welcomed a new U.S. ceasefire proposal but made amendments, insisting that any agreement must end the war, a demand Israel still rejects. Israel characterized Hamas’s response as a total rejection of the peace proposal, but mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States continue.
Since a brief week-long truce in November, attempts to arrange a ceasefire have failed, with Hamas demanding a permanent end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The conflict began when Hamas militants launched an attack from Gaza into southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages.
Israel’s invasion and bombardment of Gaza have since killed at least 37,000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, with thousands more feared buried under rubble. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is now displaced.