The White House on Monday continued to express concern to US ally Israel about the catastrophic consequences of a large-scale military operation in the densely populated areas of Rafah.
A truce would bring an end to the seven-month war in the Gaza Strip, but it is unclear whether it can be agreed upon. Israel stressed that the mediators’ cease-fire offer did not meet its “basic demands”.
More than a million people, fleeing the Israeli military offensive in other parts of the Gaza Strip, have crowded into tents and overcrowded apartments in Rafah. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold, but Israel’s closest ally the United States opposes a full-scale invasion of the city, which borders Egypt, unless Israel comes up with a “credible” plan to protect civilians in the city.
The war in the Gaza Strip has forced about 80% of the territory’s 2.3 million inhabitants from their homes, and extensive damage has been caused to apartments, hospitals, mosques and schools in several cities. According to the data of the Hamas-controlled Gaza health authorities, the death toll in the territory exceeds 34,500 people.
The war began on October 7, when “Hamas” carried out a massacre in the south of Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping another 250 people. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages, while more than 30 others have died in captivity.
