Israeli forces seem like pushing nearer to the middle of the town of Rafah, in line with satellite tv for pc imagery, which reveals army autos and widespread destruction of neighborhoods greater than two and a half miles into Gaza from the Israeli border, in addition to Palestinians fleeing the town even exterior of areas the Israeli army has stated to evacuate.
Israeli troops are nonetheless on the jap aspect of the town in southern Gaza, in line with the imagery, captured on Wednesday by the business satellite tv for pc firm Planet Labs. However they’ve continued to maneuver towards central Rafah in latest days, passing the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and Salah al-Din street, Gaza’s major artery.
Collapsed buildings and particles are seen all through this neighborhood, the place solely restricted harm was seen earlier than Israel began its incursion final week.
Whereas it isn’t potential to know precisely what induced the harm in areas all through Rafah, a lot of what’s seen is per the aftermath of Israeli bombardment and floor operations elsewhere in Gaza for the reason that struggle started final October.
Israel says Rafah is Hamas’s final stronghold, and a important gateway for arms shipments smuggled into Gaza from Egypt. It says it’s decided to ensure the militants who had been behind the Oct. 7 assaults on Israel now not pose a menace.
However Rafah has additionally been a refuge for greater than one million Palestinians who fled Israeli bombardment in different elements of Gaza. The United Nations says that a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals have fled Rafah in latest days, and the imagery signifies that giant numbers of persons are leaving the middle of Rafah, even in areas exterior of evacuation orders the Israeli army has issued for the town.
Areas of Rafah that had been stuffed with tents and autos only a week in the past appeared empty on Wednesday.
Christoph Koettl contributed reporting.