Rafah, where more than a million people have taken refuge, is the only city in the Gaza Strip that the Israeli army has not entered. More than a million people who were forced to leave other parts of Gaza have been sheltering in Rafah for months. An operation against the city is met with concern in the international community. However, news from the region is that the operation is imminent. The Israeli army informed the government that preparations for the operation in Rafah have been completed and that the date of the operation will be determined by the cabinet. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government spokesman did not give a timeline. The accompanying images show that the tent city established near Khan Younis has expanded significantly. This tent city is expected to be used during the evacuation from Rafah.
Hamas official: Weapons can be laid down
Speaking to the AP agency, Khalil al-Hayye, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, said that the group is ready to accept a ceasefire with Israel for five years or more and that it can lay down its weapons and turn into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established on the pre-1967 borders.
