The increasingly anti-Israel Biden administration isn't too happy about it, but Israel's War Cabinet voted unanimously on Monday to move forward with their operations in Rafah. Reports from sources have come pouring in to share what Israel's plan are for taking the Rafah crossing.
Axios' Barak Ravid has cited "two sources with direct knowledge" to post and report that Israel "moved to capture the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza in the next few hours." This is a particularly key area, given that it's "a main entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza and Israel says the eastern part of the city is a strategic site for Hamas."
Why it matters: The Rafah crossing is a main entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza and Israel says the eastern part of the city is a strategic site for Hamas https://t.co/tvHNWw1BHC
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 6, 2024
While critics of the operation express concern for civilian casualties--which would be entirely the fault of Hamas for perpetrating the October 7 attack on Israel in the first place--Israel has taken careful steps to evacuate people.
Another way in which the Biden administration has criticized Israel and their plans for Rafah is concerns that Israel is supposedly not doing enough for humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. As Ravid's piece also mentions, though:
The latest: Israel Defense Forces plan to control the Palestinian side of the crossing and monitor all aid coming into Gaza, a source with direct knowledge told Axios.
- The source said Israel believes taking over the Rafah crossing will eliminate Hamas' main ability to show it is still ruling Gaza.
- In the coming days and weeks, Israel wants Palestinians from Gaza who are not connected to Hamas to be involved in the control and distribution of aid entering the Strip from Egypt, the source said.
- Israeli tanks and other ground forces entered the eastern outskirts of Rafah on Monday night as part of the first phase of Israel's military operation in the southern Gaza city, Israeli officials said.
Others have also chimed in about such a move on aid, and how it could help it actually get to civilians, rather than be hijacked by Hamas terrorists, a move which the Biden administration only just last week admitted was happening.
If true, this is one of the most strategically sound decisions Israel has made so far. Hamas generated billions through its control of Rafah Crossing with complicity from Egypt and international community & NGOs. Strict monitoring of that crossing is extremely important. https://t.co/WD6LaHFRGk
— Haisam Hassanein (@HaisamHassanei1) May 6, 2024
Hamas will be distressed that they can’t control all the aid entering Gaza and profit off it and steal it and sell it. Intl orgs that partnered with Hamas will also be distressed that their two decade partnership with this criminal cartel is compromised and they stand to lose… https://t.co/rLNXNrFvQD
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) May 6, 2024
Even while Israel is evacuating civilians, the terrorist-infested UNRWA of the anti-Israel United Nations has been fighting such a move, a decision which people certainly took notice of over social media.
In what is actually a pinned post for UNRWA's account from early Monday morning, the agency laments the Rafah offensive, as they've been doing, but still insists they won't be leaving the area.
Quite shocking, even coming from UNRWA.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 6, 2024
Why is an aid organization encouraging civilian casualties? https://t.co/oANorpIX3q
Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich, who asked several questions about the operation during Monday's White House press briefing, posted a response from U.S. ofificials, sharing they still have concerns, but also noting their response in part involves "continuing to 'see where it goes.'"
A US official tells FOX that while there are continued concerns about a major Israeli operation in densely populated areas in Rafah, what is happening now does not appear to be that – although the US is continuing to ‘see where it goes’.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) May 6, 2024
Fox is told, “What we are focused on is…
Such an operation is also taking place as Hamas claimed they agreed to a ceasefire. Sure enough, the more we hear about such a "deal," the more problematic it seems to be.
#BREAKING: Hamas’s bogus ceasefire “agreement” unilaterally changed terms from 33 live hostages to 33 hostages, dead or alive https://t.co/jDBXA8TtmT
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) May 6, 2024
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