Rafah offensive
Ongoing Israeli offensive on Rafah / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 6 May 2024, Israel began a military offensive in and around the city of Rafah as part of its invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war.
Rafah offensive | |||||||
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Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war | |||||||
Israeli tanks in Rafah | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Israel |
Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Shin Bet[7] |
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
Per Israel: 1 soldier,[8] 1 Defense Ministry contractor killed[5] 34 soldiers,[9][10][11] 2 Defense Ministry employees injured[5] |
Per Israel: 100+ militants killed[11] | ||||||
80+ Palestinian civilians killed,[lower-alpha 1] ~280 injured 1 UN staff member killed 1 Israeli civilian injured[13] 500,000 Palestinians displaced (est.)[14] |
Before the offensive, about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians from elsewhere in the Gaza Strip had sought shelter in Rafah. In February, Israel announced its intent to invade in order to eliminate Hamas brigades it said were in the city.[15] In early May, as ceasefire negotiations stalled, Israel prepared for an operation and ordered the evacuation of eastern Rafah.[16][17] On 6 May, Hamas accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar,[18][19] but its terms were rejected by Israel, which indicated it would continue its operation before a pause.[20]
After the rejection, Israel conducted airstrikes on Rafah, entered the edges of the city, and seized the Rafah crossing, closing it.[18][21][22] The IDF entered populated areas of the city on 14 May.[23] Israel stated that the operation would not stop unless Hamas was eliminated or hostages were released.[24]
The humanitarian impact of Israeli operations has been high. About 300,000 displaced Palestinians were evacuated to zones alleged to be unsafe and lacking in supplies.[25][26] More than 80 Palestinians were killed and nearly 280 injured during Israeli strikes.[lower-alpha 2] In addition, events relating to the offensive resulted in the temporary closures of the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.[31]