Despite broad international and regional objections, the Israeli army pledged to continue the military operation it is conducting in Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza.
A statement from the Israeli army quoted a spokesperson as saying on Thursday that the operation is taking place in Rafah because the Palestinian Hamas movement, which has been waging war against Israel for about 8 months, is present there.
The spokesperson also said, “Hamas is present in Rafah. Hamas is holding our hostages in Rafah and is present in Rafah.”
He added, “We will not stop fighting in Rafah until the hostages are liberated.”
Israel continues its strikes on Rafah in the southern part of the strip despite the order issued by the International Court of Justice to stop the attacks on the city, which half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people had resorted to.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli military operation in Rafah began in early May, despite all American and Western warnings.
Last Sunday, 45 people were killed by an Israeli strike on a displaced persons’ camp in Rafah, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and the strike caused a large fire.
The Israeli raid has sparked global outrage.
It is noteworthy that Israel is conducting a devastating bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip, accompanied by ground operations, resulting in the deaths of at least 36,096 people, most of whom are civilians, according to the Hamas-affiliated Ministry of Health.
