Israel pummels Rafah
ISRAELIforces on Friday struck across the Gaza Strip, with witnesses reporting air raids around the southern city of Rafah, the latest focus of the nearly eight-month war.
Israel launched its military incursion into Rafah in early May despite international objections over the safety of civil$ ). .# '/ -$)" $) /# $/4 *) 5 ǭ. *- - with Egypt.
Witnesses said on Friday Israeli strikes #$/ /# ! # - . 2 '' . )/- ' 5 ǭ. Nuseirat, and a correspondent reported intense bombardment in the north.
Strikes on two separate locations killed a total of 11 people overnight, medical sources at a hospital in Deir al-balah and the Nuseirat refugee camp reported.
The Israeli military said its forces were “operating in central Gaza”, where it earlier announced forces had found rocket ' 0) # -.Ǡ 2 +*). ) Ǯ/0)) ' .# Ƥ.ǯǟ
Israel said on Wednesday its forces had taken over the 14-kilometre Philadelphi corridor along the Gaza-egypt border, where it alleges weapons were being smuggled.
Egypt, a longtime mediator in the conƣ$ /Ǡ # . 4 / /* *Ʀ $ ''4 *(( )/ *) /# .- '$ / & *1 -Ǡ 2#$ # *Ʀ $ '. # 1 +- 1$*0.'4 . $ *0' 1$*' / /# /2* *0)/-$ .ǭ 1979 peace deal. ($ ./ '' $+'*( /$ ƥ*-/. /*2 - .
. ơ- Ǡ ' ./$)$ ) ( . . $ $/ # informed mediators it would only agree a “comprehensive” truce agreement including a captives-prisoner swap if Israel halts its “aggression”.
!*- /# ! #*ƥ ).$1 " )Ǡ/# United Nations said up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city. Since then, *) ($''$*) # 1 ƣ /# - Ǡ /# agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said.
The United Nations has warned of looming famine in Gaza. The Israeli seizure of the Rafah crossing has further slowed .+*- $ '$1 -$ . *! $ !*- 5 ǭ. Ʈǟư ($''$*) + *+' ) ƥ /$1 '4 .#0// /# / --$/*-4ǭ. ( $) 3$/ +*$)/ǟ
4+-0.Ǡ /# 0-*+ ) )$*)ǭ. ./ -)most member, said humanitarian aid .#$++ /* 5 2 . $)" & +/ / . *ƥ /# / --$/*-4ǭ. * ./Ǡ Ƥ - Ƕ 0$'/ +$ - was damaged in bad weather.
Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Friday the maritime corridor was “uninterrupted” and the pier would be “back on track” within days.
“Our goal... is to be able to help half a million people per month, and we think that this goal is achievable,” he said.
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( ) $)" ) $(( $ / . ơ- ) the release of all captives, but it was unclear when it would be voted on.