US leadership has said an Israeli invasion of Rafah — a southern city in Gaza where refugees have fled — could be a “disaster.”
But it looks like Israel is going ahead with the planned assault anyway.
On Monday, the Israeli military warned civilians in the eastern part of the Gazan city to evacuate ahead of what it called “extreme force” it’ll use against “terrorist organizations” in the area.
Leaflets began to fall on the eastern part of the city around 9 a.m. local time, according to media reports. Images from Reuters and Getty Images show Palestinian civilians leaving the area.
More than 1 million Palestinians are estimated to have fled to the city since Israel began its assault on Gaza following the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023.
The militant group killed over 1,100 people in the attacks, and hundreds were captured by Hamas fighters. The Israeli government has responded with crushing force, launching airstrikes into Gaza that have killed more than 35,000 people, according to Hamas-run Gaza health authorities.
International pressure has been building on Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire in the conflict, but talks appear to have broken down. Hamas rejected the latest peace offer after it didn’t include a definitive end to the war, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Israel is facing mounting pressure over its handling of the war — including from its ally, the United States.
Biden has previously urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce civilian casualties. Previous Israeli assaults and strikes have killed aid workers, including seven people with the World Central Kitchen whose convoy was hit by a drone strike.
In March, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said a military operation in the small city could become a “disaster.”
President Joe Biden was pressed last month in an MSNBC interview to declare a “red line” for Israel’s leadership; he agreed that a Rafah invasion was one.
The White House, however, later walked back Biden’s statement, according to The New York Times.
In a speech at a Holocaust memorial event on Sunday, Netanyahu seemingly dismissed criticism of his handling of the war, vowing that Israel would “stand alone” if it was forced to.
“I say to the leaders of the world: No amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself,” Netanyahu said, according to the Associated Press.
The war in Gaza has become a divisive issue in the United States, where protests have flared on college campuses. Demonstrators have demanded that the schools divest from Israel; hundreds of protesters have been arrested.
Meanwhile, Biden is facing pressure from his left flank over his support for sending munitions and military aid to Israel. A group of pro-Palestinian voters has been racking up votes against him in the Democratic primaries, hinting that his fragile coalition to defeat GOP challenger Donald Trump could be in danger.
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