The Israeli military says it is sending an additional brigade to Rafah, pledging to “intensify” its ground invasion in defiance of global warnings over the fate of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians sheltering in Gaza’s far-southern city.
Minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant said Thursday “additional forces will enter” the Rafah area and “this activity will intensify”.
Israeli media quoting Israrli sources reported that the Commando Brigade joined the 162nd Division, which is already deployed in eastern Rafah.
At least 600,000 Palestinians have already fled Rafah to other areas in the strip after Israel intensified its military invasion there last week.
On May 6, the Israeli military took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing between southern Gaza and Egypt, essentially cutting off aid into the coastal strip.
On Thursday, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it was “nearly impossible” to distribute aid within Gaza, adding that crossings were either “closed, unsafe to access, or not logistically viable.”
Countries around the world, including Israel’s Western allies, have warned an onslaught against Rafah would exacerbate the situation inside the besieged region.
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