Fierce gun battles rage in Gaza as Israel pushes deeper into Rafah • FRANCE 24 English
where it all comes as well as the Israeli Defense Forces have extended their operation in Rafa in the south of the Gaza Strip to include Southeastern as well as Eastern parts of the city hundreds of thousands of people are also streaming north and west to what Israel is calling expanded humanitarian zones well we’re going to talk about the latest with our chief foreign editor Rob Parsons now Rob the fighting in RAF it shows no sign of letting up um what seems to be Israel’s goals here well it’s a good question and it’s one that uh the United States among others is is asking itself because it’s not entirely clear what they’re trying to do the Israelis say it’s the complete defeat of Hamas but you the US again is asking what do you mean by that precisely and is that even possible uh again the US has been putting immense pressure on Israel not to launch a full-scale offensive against Rafa it’s uh PA the for instance supply of uh bombs 900 kgr bombs and others it’s warned the Israelis that if they do launch a fullscale offensive that other weapons will be denied them as well uh and the response though has been quite stubborn from Israel bin Netanyahu is saying we will launch a ground offensive full scale ground offensive we will defeat uh Hamas in Rafa because it’s vital for the what we’re trying to achieve in Gaza but it has to be said that for all the Bluster that we’ve been hearing from Netanyahu and others on the ground they’re not really doing that much uh the hasn’t been a full-scale ground offensive there there have been attacks against Raa but it’s more like salami tactics and in a Nodge the Americans they’ve been attempting to evacuate civilians from the areas that they’ve been going into they’ve set up what they’re they’re calling humanitarian zones extended humanitarian zones one at a place called alwa masi on the on the the coast which extends as far as Kan yunas big city that was leveled by uh Israeli bombs during their the recent offensive there uh the question is though on the ground what does an extended humanitarian Zone amount to and Aid agencies have been saying effectively not very much at a time when there’s fighting which has prevented Aid coming in through the Rafa Crossing into Egypt and through km Shalom nearby the amount of Aid that’s getting into Gaza has dropped drastically uh so that the firing that people have been talking about in the north of Gaz is now spreading down into the South and it means that these extended humanitarian zones do not have anything to offer to the people who are streaming in their Direction the moment hundreds and thousands of people so the situation is pretty pretty Grim that’s the situation in the South um we’ve also got fighting uh erupting once again in the north this is months of course after Israel claimed to have defeated Hamas there what does that tell us yeah I I think the point that is the one that uh US Secretary of State Anthony blinkin has been making that you know you can’t can go into Rafa for instance and militarily defeat Hamas for a few weeks or so and then they pop up again later you know it’s the question is what does defeat really mean uh and you he’s just said he said again the same Anthony blinkin this week you know that look at the north of of Gaza and you see the case in point that he has been making that you know four months after Israel announced that it had dismantled Hamas to use it word dismantles its own word dismantle the Hamas command structures in the north here we are again heavy fighting in the jabalia refugee camp which was the the knb of the the the fighting uh four months ago uh and 100,000 people are on the road again uh trying to escape the fighting yet again uh Israeli is forces taking heavy casualties in the north um and Hamas showing no sign of being defeated in any meaningful sense which brings us around answer the question that which again the United States and others have been putting to Isel you’ve got to start thinking about what comes after the the the conflict in GA in Gaza what are you going to put in place what intentions do you have and so far the Americans haven’t been getting satisfactory answers from the Israelis largely because it seems uh the Israeli government hasn’t given an awful lot of thought to it itself uh it it’s been talking about the possibility of an Israeli milit military Administration most people believe that that’s not going to cut it let’s end Rober talking about the emotional day today we saw the the beginning that report of Palestinians already marking NABA yesterday for Israelis was Independence Day both sides kind of em even more of a heightened emotional moment for them yeah I mean for Israelis you know perhaps not in present circumstances but uh you know a joyful memory of the the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948 but for uh Palestinians one day after the israelies it’s the the Naka as they call it in Arabic uh the catastrophe which recalls the time in 1948 when the Israelis forced them out of their homes having forced back isra Arab forces which attacked Israel just after was formed 700,000 people had to flee uh the Israelis have not given them the right of return and those 700,000 people are now 6 million descendants of the original refugees who are scattered across uh the the Arab world uh in Jordan in Lebanon in Syria and the West Bank uh and of course in Gaza uh 1.5 million people living in Gaza are direct descendants of that original 700,000 people and now in Gaza you know 75% of the population is in turn having to flee homes evacuate homes and the question they’re asking themselves is is this another NABA are we going to be forced out of Gaza uh and they could be forgiven for thinking that first of all because how long is it going to take to rebuild their homes the new reckons it’ll be 2040 before they rebuild but in addition to that there are many in the uh Israeli government who are talking quite openly about the need to resettle Gaza uh with Israeli settlers and to encourage the people of Gaza to leave just this last weekend isamar Ben the security minister was at a a rally for for settlers in which he was making exactly that point he said we should encourage the immigration we are coming home uh so if you’re living in Gaza and you’re hearing senior ministers in the Israeli government saying that of course you’re very nervous Rob thanks very much Rob Parson is our chief foreign editor here on France 24 is Rob mention many of those Palestinians going to Jordan and in fact in about an hour and a half’s time here on the world today we’re going to bring you a special report on that in Revisited so that’s coming up for you in about an hour uh and a half’s time stay with us for that
Gun battles between Israel and militants from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and smaller Palestinian factions intensified overnight into some of the fiercest in months in both northern and southern Gaza, both sides said on Wednesday. FRANCE 24 Chief Foreign Affairs Editor Rob Parsons has more.
#Israel #Gaza #strategy
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32 comments
Land Grab
Anyone here heard of the Sabbatean/Frankish messianic movement, and have any relative information connected to what is going on in Gaza ?
Do you have something more delighting than war, war, war. Change your tune it is boring.
But the israelis have invaded rafah. So what is the world going to do about it
The Command Structure of Hamas may be decimated and fighting sill erupt in the North. Those 2 things aren't mutually exclusive. And how can this reporter talk about Hamas's capability? He doesn't know what they are cap[able now? maybe the damage Israel doing is destroying Hamas. A few hundred fighters in the rubble do make a terrorist organization. You can unfortunately tell this reporter has significant Bias against Israel at this moment. I don't like Israel either or agree with what they are doing, but this is BIAS plain and simple… I know it's difficult, especially when people are suffering but that's what being an objective and true journalist is, this is activism with information….
Yesterday a older Jewish lady on the news said 500 settlement families were ready to move into Gaza.
Lot of ignorance in this reporting. There are at least four full Hamas battalions that are intact and hiding in Rafah. Israel waited weeks and warned over and over again in the last few weeks that they intend to come in after them (giving away the strategic advantage and putting young soldiers lives at risk for the sake of the "innocent civilians". Already soldiers have lost their lives – including three 18 and 19 year olds who were facilitating humanitarian aid going in to Gaza when Hamas deliberately and cold bloodedly fired missiles at them.
💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💣💣💣💢💯
What Israel's goal in Rafah? Even a child knows the answer and you are asking why? Israel is seeking for freedom of kidnapped Israelis in the hands of Hamas terrorist cared by UN
if Hamas terrorist group have not complied with the Iranian foreign aggressive dictations to revenge the death of Suleimani on Palestinian soil,
the innocent civilian precious lives would not have been killed or died!
the cultural sites, civilian homes, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, shopping centers, infrastructure would not have been destroyed!
the so called de-humanization, the breach of human rights, the acts of hostility would not have been taken place!
The intervention of surrounding Arab countries in Israel was a response to the Nakba, not the other way around. The ethnic cleansing began in January at least and by the time Israel declared independence on May 15th, more that 300,000 Palestinians had already been expelled.
Unfortunately Hamas/Palestinians attacked Israel which caused this conflict. Hamas/Palestinians should of never massacred the innocent children in Israel. What did Hamas/Palestinians expect from joining Hamas in this emotional cruel attack on October 7th. Rafah Hamas/Palestinians must be never again attack Israel. Those who bless Israel will be blessed; Those who curse Israel will be cursed. My prayer Lord bless Israel and pray for peace upon Jerusalem. In Christ our Lord’s name we pray. Amen amen
They remove Gaza from the map and turn the world against themselves. Who could have imagined it last year.
Who would have ever though that creating a settler state for Westerners in the Middle East and pushing out the indigenous population out might cause problems?
Which one is defeated Israel or hamas…?
Africa stands with Israel
Israel is complicit.
Don’t underestimate Israel’s strategy and tactics. You know nothing.
descendants of refugees dont count as refugees. in that case almost the whole world is a refugee. but for palestine somehow the exception is made. both sides are a mess.
God protect IDF. as protect Moses in Red Sea
israel has no goal to achieve.
They are a evils.
How can you call them thé best army if the only think they are thé best is killing inoncent people.
Concentrating on civilian evacuation is stupidity of Israel scotched earth policy in achieving its goes is important
Jews have been in Israel for thousands of years.
So hamas is not willing to stop the war, surrender to isreal, and release the hostages.
They can't rebuild because Hamas will steal everything.
What comes next? More illegal occupation and settlement. No consequences thanks to US suppert. Isn't the Likud party saying that clearly enough for the media to understand?
Annex Gaza!!!
What Rafah?
The only thing I've learned during this war is that journalists and analysts are some of the most uncritical thinkers you can come across.🤦♀️
No!! They want to get every single Palestinians OUT of Palestine! & I believe US knows exactly what is going on! & That is the reason why US vetoes yet again this time regarding Palestine being a member of UN! Practically every country voted : YES also Why not US??
Well this was a non Partisan commentary!
No Middle East country wants to put boots on the ground in GAZA.
None want GAZANS flooding thier boarder.
Wake up Western culture