Biden asks Israel to stop Rafah airstrikes
ISRAELlaunched new strikes on the overcrowded Gazan city *! ! # *) -$ 4Ǡ Ƥ - President Joe Biden issued the strongest rebuke yet to the US ally, 2 -)$)" $/. - .+*). /* ( .ǭ. /* - Ƴ attack has been “over the top”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu # . . $ # # . *- - .- 'ǭ. -(4 /* “prepare to operate” in Rafah, the last major Gaza city that its ground troops have yet to attack.
# )$/ / / . $. .- 'ǭ. ( $) $)/ -national backer, providing it with billions of dollars in military aid.
But the US State Department said it does )*/ .0++*-/ "-*0) *ƥ ).$1 $) ! #Ǡ warning that, if not properly planned, such an operation in a city sheltering more than one million displaced Palestinians risked “disaster”.
And in a sign of his growing frustration 2$/# .- 'ǭ. ' -.#$+Ǡ $ ) . $ $/. ($'$/ -4 - / '$ /$*) !*- /# /* - Ƴ // & had gone too far.
Ǯ ǭ( *! /# 1$ 2Ǡ . 4*0 &)*2Ǡ /# / /# conduct of the response in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, has been over the top,” the US president said.
“There are a lot of innocent people who - ./ -1$)"ǟǟǟ $) /-*0 ' ) 4$)"Ǡ ) $/ǭ. got to stop.”
Witnesses reported new strikes over)$"#/ *) ! #Ǡ Ƥ - /# .- '$ ($'$/ -4 $)/ ).$ơ $- - $ . *) $/4 / ($)" 2$/#
*0/ # '! *! /# 5 /-$+ǭ. Ʈǟư ($''$*) people.
# / --$/*-4ǭ. # '/# ($)$./-4 . $ more than 100 people were killed in overnight bombardment, including at least eight in Rafah.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said three children were killed in a strike in Rafah, where many displaced are trapped in tents pushed up against the Egyptian border.
“We heard the sound of a huge explosion next to our house... we found two children martyred in the street,” said Jaber al Bardini, 60.
“There is no safe place in Rafah. If they storm Rafah we will die in our homes. We # 1 )* #*$ ǟ *)ǭ/ 2 )/ /* "* )4where else.” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, un- +- ..0- Ƥ - .- ' '' " ƭʈ *! /# " ) 4ǭ. ./ ƥ /**& + -/ $) /# '4 .sault, said the humanitarian situation in Rafah was increasingly desperate.
*- /# ) ƭǟʈ ($''$*) + *+' Ǹ *0/ half of the entire population of the Gaza
/-$+ Ǹ 2 - )*2 -*2 $)/* /# $/4Ǡ .' +$)" *) /# ./- /. $) ( & .#$Ƥ commodation, with food and water scarce.
“Any large-scale military operation among this population can only lead to an
$/$*) ' ' 4 - *! ) ' .. /- "4 /# /ǭ. unfolding,” he told reporters in Jerusalem.
Ǯ # - ǭ. . ). *! "-*2$)" )3$ /4 ) growing panic in Rafah. People have abso'0/ '4 )* $ 2# - /* "* Ƥ - ! #ǟǯ
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