Israeli tanks have sealed off Rafah from the south and complete the encirclement of the “red zone”, and its military has ordered 100,000 displaced Palestinian residents to evacuate as the Israeli war cabinet authorises an expansion of operations in the southern city.
Recall that the Israeli officials had earlier struck a defiant tone after US President Joe Biden warned that the United States would not provide weapons for a full-scale ground assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are hemmed in with no safe way to leave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in televised remarks on Thursday that Israel, which is heavily reliant on US weapons shipments, would “fight with our fingernails” if necessary.
The US has consistently provided Israel with military support throughout the campaign in the Gaza Strip, defying growing international and domestic pressure and sidelining concerns over alleged violations of international law by Israeli forces.
Biden, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, said the US was still committed to Israel’s defence and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms but, if Israeli forces invade Rafah, “we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US would pause a shipment of heavy bombs.
The statements appeared to suggest a widening rift between the Biden administration and Netanyahu’s government.
“We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals – we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security.”
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
