IRIA News

The Israeli military intensified its assaults in Rafah, located in southern Gaza, and targeted Gaza City, leading to significant disruptions in humanitarian aid efforts across the Palestinian territory, as ceasefire negotiations in Egypt concluded without reaching an agreement.

Despite a global backlash, warnings from the UN, and opposition even from the strongest ally, the United States, Israel is determined on its decision to continue its offensive in Rafah. Israeli military operations in Gaza are expected to result in thousands of deaths as the region is home to more than 1.4 million Palestinian refugees who are seeking shelter from Israel’s brutal attacks elsewhere on the Gaza Strip.

U.S. President Joe Biden even warned the Israeli leaders that he would halt the supply of certain U.S. weapons deliveries to Israel if it proceeded with the ground assault in Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, remained resolute in his stance to invade Rafah.

“If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails,” he said in an interview following Biden’s comments.

On Friday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported that 110,000 Palestinians have evacuated Rafah. Israeli forces have been moving forward in the eastern part of the city, engaging in close combat operations, and carrying out airstrikes.

“People are petrified. People have been fearing this for a long, long time and it is now upon us. There is constant bombardment. There is smoke on the horizon. There are people on the move,” Sam Rose, director of planning for the UNRWA said in a statement.

A portion of the tent encampments had been established by the United Nations in schools, while others were situated in open fields or along roadways for several months. Presently, a considerable number of these camps have disappeared, yet many individuals continue to reside in them despite directives from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to evacuate.

At least three people were killed and five wounded after Israeli strikes hit a family home in central Gaza City. Under heavy attack, patients and staff have been forced out of hospitals in Rafah, leaving many sick and wounded Palestinians with no way of being treated.

Earlier this week, numerous Palestinian refugees traveled to Al-Mawasi in response to an Israeli order to relocate. Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), cautioned that the harsh conditions in Al-Mawasi, characterized by insufficient security, inadequate housing, and limited space, classify Israel’s relocation orders as involuntary displacement, constituting a severe breach of international law.

Ceasefire talks end in failure

Following the recent round of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo, mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, both the Israeli and Hamas delegations departed from the Egyptian capital. On Friday, Hamas stated that the responsibility now lies entirely with Israel.

The Egypt Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the need for “flexibility” from both sides to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the exchange of captives held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas outlined that a potential agreement would entail an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the repatriation of Palestinians displaced by the conflict, and a swap of captives for prisoners, aiming for a “permanent ceasefire.”

Hamas’s demand for an initial 12-week pause in fighting was a major sticking point for Israel during this week’s ceasefire negotiations. The group said it stood by the terms and that Israel had “raised objections to it on several central issues.”

United Nations backs Palestinian bid for membership

The United Nations General Assembly has backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably”.

On May 10, 2024, the 193-member General Assembly conducted a global assessment of support for the Palestinian request to attain full UN membership, which would essentially acknowledge a Palestinian state. This action followed the United States veto of the proposal in the UN Security Council the previous month.

The assembly passed a resolution with 143 votes in favor and nine against, including those from the US and Israel, while 25 countries abstained. This resolution does not grant Palestinians full UN membership but acknowledges their eligibility to join.

The General Assembly resolution “determines that the State of Palestine should therefore be admitted to membership” and it “recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably”.