The Israeli government unanimously approved the launch of the military offensive on Rafahthe Ynet website announces, specifying that the operation should begin within a few days.
The Israeli armed forces have already begun to ask the Palestinian population present in the area of evacuate neighborhoods in the eastern part of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, close to the Israeli border, in view of the planned offensive in the southern area of the enclave. This was reported by the ‘Times of Israel’, specifying that civilians are being asked to move towards the humanitarian zone in the areas of al-Mawasi and Khan Younis.
“L’IDF will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence, as it has done so far. Anyone who finds themselves close to terrorist organizations puts their lives and that of their family at risk”, reads a message posted on area of Al-Shouka municipality and in the neighborhoods – Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tabet Ziraa and Al-Byouk in the Rafah area in blocks: 10-16, 28, 270″. The message also warns that “Gaza City is still a dangerous combat zone.” “Refrain from returning north. We warn you to stay away from the eastern and southern security fence,” it further asks.
Sources Israel: “Stop Rafah offensive if Hamas accepts hostage deal”
If Hamas accepted the proposed agreement for the release of hostages still in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government would withdraw authorization for the military operation in Rafah, an Israeli official told the Ynet website on condition of anonymity.
Hamas: “Operation in Rafah will be no picnic for Israel”
The announced military operation in Rafah will not be “a picnic” for Israeli forces, Hamas said in a statement, specifying that “our courageous resistance, led by the al-Qassam Brigades, is totally ready to defend our people”. The Palestinian movement urged the international community to take urgent action to stop the operation, underlining how the attack threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of defenseless civilians, including children, women and the elderly. Hamas also called on humanitarian organizations, starting with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNRWA), not to leave Rafah.
A Hamas official had previously said that the offensive will lead to the collapse of precarious talks on a truce agreement and the release of hostages: “The Israeli decision to begin the evacuation of the population will halt the negotiations on the agreement, which had progressed good. We were close to an agreement.” “Netanyahu is under the illusion that the threat of an invasion of Rafah will put pressure on Hamas. It will only lead to the failure of negotiations,” added the same source.
Meanwhile, Hamas-run al-Aqsa television reported that Israel would conduct airstrikes near eastern Rafah neighborhoods that were ordered to evacuate.
PNA: “With the Rafah offensive, a serious crime of genocide, the US must intervene”
With the green light for the ground military operation in Rafah, Israel is ”preparing to commit the most serious crime of genocide”. This was stated by the spokesperson for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Nabil Abu Rudeineh, asking the United States to intervene so as not to be jointly responsible. ”With the invasion of Rafah, one and a half million Palestinian citizens will be subjected to genocidal massacre and displacement,” he said, quoted by the Wafa news agency.
“Therefore, we call on the US administration to act immediately to prevent genocide and displacement, and to hold Israel accountable for its grave violations of international law before it is too late,” he added.
Palestinian reports claim that Egypt has blocked the Rafah border crossing with concrete blocks, preventing residents of the Strip from leaving or entering the country, writes Ynet News.
UNRWA: “An offensive would be catastrophic, we will not abandon Rafah”
“We are in a situation where any large-scale advance by Israeli forces in Rafah will mean more suffering and death. The consequence would be devastating for the population of Rafah, which is six times the pre-war population: half of the 1.4 million inhabitants are children. Most of these people have already been displaced many times. The challenge at this stage is insurmountable.” Spokesman for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Jonathan Fowler, told al Jazeera.
“Unexploded ordnance must be removed before people return to the areas (which they left) and live in safety. Otherwise people are pushed to areas where their lives are at risk,” Fowler added. “Nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe, people have been constantly displaced, over and over again. Even contingency plans offer little comfort. The consequences of such an offensive would be simply catastrophic.” UNRWA in any case will not leave the overcrowded southern city of Gaza.
Negotiations with Hamas suspended until tomorrow
Negotiations suspended between Israel and Hamas until tomorrow, Tuesday 7 May. At the end of a day of intense negotiations for a truce in Gaza, the Hamas delegation that was in Cairo for the talks delivered the group’s response to the mediators of Egypt and Qatar and left for Doha for internal consultations with the movement. The delegation will be back in the Egyptian capital tomorrow, reports the Egyptian channel Al Qahera. Also in Doha was the head of the CIA William Burns “for a meeting with Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani” with the aim of talking “about the commitment to reach an agreement on the hostages in Gaza”. Meanwhile, Israel blocks all Al Jazeera activities in the country.
Talks between Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire in Gaza have not completely failed, two regional sources told NBC. An Arab negotiator directly involved in the talks with Israel and the United States said that the negotiations had not collapsed and therefore it was not yet clear when or if the operation in Rafah could begin, despite the evacuation order from the IDF. The same was confirmed by an Israeli official, who underlined that the presence of the director of the CIA, William Burns, in Israel represents a signal that there are still ongoing discussions.
IDF raid in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, 15 targets hit
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) planes conducted three raids and hit targets in southern Lebanon, around the city of Jezzine. The Lebanese news agency NNA announced this, adding that the cities of Kfar Kila and Odaisseh were also hit by Israeli artillery fire from Metula.
The Israeli army confirmed that it had conducted the raids, specifying that they had hit “15 military facilities and terrorist infrastructure located in a military complex belonging to Hezbollah’s Radwan forces” in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah drone towards northern Israel, 2 injured
The Israel Defense Forces reported that ”a drone was identified towards the Metula area in northern Israel”. It is, as Hezbollah claimed, a drone that the Lebanese militiamen used to target an Israeli military position.
The Times of Israel explains that two Israelis were injured in the attack by drones loaded with explosives in the Metula area.
