Falcon powers – Israeli forces have penetrated into northern Gaza amid the wreckage and debris of destroyed buildings, engaging in fierce clashes with Palestinian armed factions. Meanwhile, the displacement of civilians continues as they flee from the shelling, particularly in the threatened city of Rafah, which faces the possibility of a major Israeli military operation despite international warnings.
On the 221st day of the war on Gaza, intense battles with the Israeli army have resumed in the eastern part of Jabalia camp and other areas in the northern Gaza Strip. This comes alongside a renewed campaign of intense shelling on several cities, coinciding with a ground incursion into the southern city of Rafah.
The Israeli army continues its attempts to penetrate deep into Jabalia camp after failing to achieve this objective in a previous campaign months ago. Its artillery relentlessly shells the homes of civilians in the largest and most densely populated camp in the Strip.
Politically, Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated on Monday that the United States does not consider Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” but it urges the Israeli state to “make further efforts to protect Palestinian civilians.”
As for the ceasefire negotiations, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Tuesday that the talks have reached an impasse, and the Rafah operation has set things back. He added that there has been a lack of clarity from the Israeli side regarding the method of ending the war.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that nearly 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza since the first Israeli evacuation order was issued on May 6th.
