**RAFAH, Palestinian Territories, May 19, 2024 (BSS/AFP)** - Intense clashes and bombardments rocked Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, on Saturday. The United Nations reported that 800,000 people have been "forced to flee" due to Israel's assault on Hamas militants.
The Israeli military confirmed that air strikes hit over 70 targets in Gaza while ground troops carried out "targeted raids" in eastern Rafah, killing 50 militants and uncovering numerous tunnel shafts.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, noted a significant movement of people since the start of Israel's operation in Rafah. "800,000 people are on the road, having been forced to flee since Israeli forces began their military operation in the area on May 6," Lazzarini stated on X (formerly Twitter). He emphasized that people were fleeing to areas lacking water and proper sanitation.
Political divisions in Israel's war cabinet surfaced on Saturday night. Minister Benny Gantz threatened to resign unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a post-war plan for Gaza. Gantz proposed six objectives, including establishing a multinational civilian administration in Gaza. Netanyahu dismissed the threat, calling it "washed-up words" and arguing that it would mean "defeat for Israel."
Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for launching rockets toward Israel's port of Ashkelon and targeting an Israeli command center at the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. In response, Israel issued new evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, citing rocket fire from militants.
An AFP reporter observed air strikes and artillery pounding eastern Rafah, with warplanes flying overhead. More than ten days into the "limited" Rafah operation, fighting also resumed in northern Gaza. Israel had previously claimed to dismantle Hamas's command structure in the north, but the military acknowledged that Hamas had maintained control in Jabalia until recently.
Hamas criticized Israel's "escalating crimes of the occupation" and "intensified brutal raids" on Jabalia, which they said resulted in dozens of civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries.
**First Aid via Pier**
Aid organizations reported that Israel's Rafah incursion has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. With key land crossings closed or operating at limited capacity due to the fighting, some aid began entering Gaza via a temporary US-built floating pier. The Israeli army stated that 310 pallets of aid were moved ashore, marking "the first entry of humanitarian aid through the floating pier." Satellite images showed over a dozen trucks lined up on the pier's approach road. In the coming days, approximately 500 tonnes of aid are expected to be delivered via the pier, according to US Central Command. However, UN agencies and humanitarian groups have cautioned that sea or air deliveries cannot replace more efficient truck convoys into Gaza, where the UN has warned of an impending famine.
The Rafah crossing, essential for humanitarian aid, has remained closed since Israel launched its operation in the city. The conflict began after Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,170 people, mostly civilians, based on an AFP tally from Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 35,386 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The toll includes at least 83 deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
Out of 252 people taken hostage from Israel during the October 7 attack, 124 remain held in Gaza, including 37 who the army says are dead.
**'Advancing and Retreating'**
The Israeli army announced on Saturday that troops had recovered the body of hostage Ron Benjamin during the same Gaza operation that saw the retrieval of three other hostages' bodies killed on October 7. Israel has vowed to defeat the remaining Hamas forces in Rafah, which it describes as the Iran-backed group's last stronghold.
Palestinian sources in Rafah indicated that Israeli forces were operating in the Al-Salam and Jenina neighborhoods and along the Philadelphi route on the Egyptian border. "Troops are advancing and retreating around these areas," a security source said.
Cairo, which is involved in mediation efforts, has warned that a potential Israeli takeover of Philadelphi could violate the 1979 peace deal between Egypt and Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel reported killing two senior Islamic Jihad militants in air strikes in the northern West Bank and Rafah. In northern Gaza's Beit Lahia, witnesses reported air strikes near Kamal Adwan hospital on Saturday. The hospital's director, Hussam Abu Safiya, stated that the facility had received "large numbers" of casualties from nearby Jabalia and was running low on supplies, with fuel supplies "barely enough for a few days."
The World Health Organization reported that no medical supplies had entered Gaza since the Rafah operation began, according to spokesman Tarik Jasarevic on Friday.
**Biden Aide Visits**
On the diplomatic front, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was heading to the region. Sullivan planned to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
Political tensions within Israel were highlighted on Saturday when Gantz reiterated his ultimatum for a post-war Gaza plan. In a televised address, he set a June 8 deadline for an "action plan" for Gaza, which includes defeating Hamas, returning hostages, and ensuring Israeli security control over Gaza. Netanyahu dismissed Gantz's comments, arguing they would signify "the end of the war and a defeat for Israel, the abandoning of most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact, and the establishment of a Palestinian state."
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