A map from the IDF showing the areas they control in Rafah

Israel Secures Rafah Border, Uncovers Gaza-Egypt Tunnels Amid Intense Fighting

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The Judean Staff
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In a dramatic escalation of military operations, Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, found itself under an intense artillery barrage and relentless gunfire on Thursday. This came after Israel’s bold announcement of securing a critical corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt.

The Israeli military launched its strategic incursion into Rafah in early May, despite international outcry regarding the fate of Palestinian civilians. However, Israel maintained that Rafah was the final Hamas stronghold and a site where hostages were being held. Impressively, since entering the city, Israeli forces have recovered the remains of seven hostages who had been taken by Hamas on October 7th.

A recent strike over the weekend, which sparked a deadly fire in a displacement camp, drew widespread condemnation. However, Israeli satellite imagery demonstrated that their missiles did not cause the fire. The images showed that Israeli missiles struck a target 180 meters from the nearest civilians. Instead, secondary explosions from a Hamas weapons cache likely caused shrapnel to ignite a nearby gas tank. Despite this, a massive social media campaign under the slogan "All eyes on Rafah" has garnered tens of millions of shares. Pro-Israel advocates have countered by using the slogan to highlight the plight of the hostages, with many posts urging, "Since your eyes are on Rafah, help us look for the hostages."

Israel, steadfast in its commitment to dismantling Hamas following the group’s brutal assault on southern Israel on October 7, announced on Wednesday that its forces had seized control of the 14-kilometer Philadelphi corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, a route suspected of being used for weapons smuggling.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, confirmed that Israel had established "operational control" over the narrow border area. He revealed that troops had uncovered approximately 20 tunnels, some resembling multi-lane highways, challenging Egypt's long-standing denial of their existence.

Egypt, which has often mediated in the conflict and has recently been vocally critical of Israel's operations, had previously claimed to have destroyed all smuggling tunnels in 2014. However, the discovery of these tunnels has led to a conspicuous silence from Cairo, suggesting possible complicity in Hamas's armament.

An unnamed high-ranking Egyptian official, quoted by state-linked Al-Qahera News, accused Israel of using these allegations to justify extending its military operations in Rafah for political purposes. Furthermore, Egyptian officials have expressed concerns that an Israeli takeover of the Philadelphi corridor might breach the historic 1979 peace agreement between the two nations. Despite these concerns, there has been no official response from Cairo since the Israeli military's announcement.

While visiting Beijing, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated calls for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza and reaffirmed Egypt's opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians. Egypt has consistently prevented Palestinians from seeking refuge within its borders, ostensibly to avoid being implicated in the conflict. The discovery of the tunnels now casts a shadow over Egypt's stance, hinting at a desire to prevent exposure of its possible role in arming Hamas.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping, hosting Arab leaders including Sisi, called for a "broad-based, authoritative, and effective international peace conference" to address the conflict. Notably, Xi has not demanded the release of Israeli hostages, leading to speculation that China’s involvement aims at securing a role in post-war Gaza’s reconstruction.

On the ground in Gaza, witnesses reported fierce battles in central and western Rafah. Israeli forces have reportedly demolished several buildings in the city's eastern areas, likely targeting Hamas-affiliated structures. The initial Israeli incursion began on May 7, focusing on the crucial Rafah border crossing, a lifeline for humanitarian aid.

Posts on Telegram have described artillery and gunfire exchanges in Gaza City's southern Zeitun neighborhood, with thick smoke seen rising over Jabaliya refugee camp and Beit Lahia.

As the conflict rages, a steady stream of civilians has fled Rafah, carrying their belongings on their shoulders, in vehicles, or on donkey carts. Prior to the offensive, the United Nations estimated up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in Rafah. Since then, Israel has facilitated the evacuation of nearly one million civilians.

The Palestinian Red Crescent, known for its controversial support of Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack, reported late Wednesday that two of its paramedics were killed near Rafah. However, video evidence has repeatedly shown that some paramedics have actively assisted Hamas militants, either by transporting them or their armaments, thus complicating the narrative of their purported victimhood.

This conflict underscores the complex and often contentious dynamics at play in the region, where military, political, and humanitarian issues are deeply intertwined.

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