Israeli forces bombed Rafah, killing at least 15 people, including women and children, despite US President Joe Biden’s threat to withhold weapons if Israel assaults the southern Gaza city.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Biden’s warning, saying, “If we must, we shall fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than our fingernails.”
Indirect negotiations in Cairo to halt hostilities in Gaza have ended without a deal, and Israel will proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed their fighters fired anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli tanks massed on the eastern outskirts of Rafah.
The Israeli assault on Gaza has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 80,000, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
The United States has expressed hope that Israel would not launch a full operation in Rafah, saying it does not believe that would advance Israel’s aim of defeating Hamas.
The Israeli military has the munitions it requires for operations in Rafah and other planned operations, according to chief armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
Talks in Cairo made some headway but no deal was reached, and Hamas blames Israel for the lack of agreement.
The medical sector in Gaza is collapsing, with the closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt preventing the evacuation of the wounded and sick and the entry of medical supplies, food trucks, and fuel needed to operate hospitals.
