‘Israel’ burns down Palestinian side of Rafah crossing

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have burnt down the departure hall on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, thereby cutting off Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

After gaining control of the Rafah crossing 40 days ago, the occupation set fire to the departure hall, as well as other facilities and structures, cutting off Palestinians in Gaza from the outside world, an Anadolu journalist reported.

Several Palestinian social media sites posted photos of the departure hall being fully burnt down.

The Hamas movement slammed the Israeli crime as a “criminal and barbaric behavior.”

The movement stressed that this “Nazi behavior, which is a clear-cut war crime, demands widespread international condemnation and taking the necessary measures to hold the occupation leaders accountable for their destruction of a civilian facility.”

It noted that this took place without justification whatsoever other than the Israeli thirst for inflicting more damage and more destruction and increasing the suffering of the Palestinians.

Hamas also held the Israeli occupation accountable for the consequences of this crime, which has cut off Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from the outside world, deprived thousands of sick and wounded people of traveling to receive treatment abroad, and prevented the entry of aid.

It demanded effective international action to open the crossing and facilitate travel for Palestinians and the entry of urgent food and relief aid into the sector that is deliberately exposed to the Israeli war of starvation.

Media correspondent in Gaza confirmed that three Palestinians, including a woman, were killed, while several others were seriously injured after the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) deliberately bombed a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City. 

Israeli bombardment also targeted agricultural lands east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s Civil Defense reported earlier that its crews recovered the bodies of two martyrs from the Bir Canada area in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah, following the occupation’s bombing of the area. Israeli warplanes also targeted a house in the vicinity of the Emirati field hospital in central Rafah.

Israeli warplanes also launched a violent raid on Gaza City, coinciding with several raids targeting the vicinity of the Gaza Valley, northwest of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

Israeli media: Hamas maintains military capabilities in Gaza

Military sources told Israeli Channel 12 that Hamas continues to engage in war within the Gaza Strip, and is still capable of inflicting heavy losses on Israeli soldiers.

The sources stated that the army is struggling to eliminate the al-Qassam Brigades in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, and may end the military operation without achieving its objectives.

In the same context, Ohad Hemo, a Palestinian affairs commentator for Israeli Channel 12, said that Hamas has successfully re-established its presence in the Gaza Strip.

He emphasized that Israeli expectations regarding the invasion of Rafah and the ground operation there are misleading the public.

“All eyes are on Rafah, but there’s something important that we and the public in Israel need to understand,” he asserted. He clarified that the real issue was not Rafah but rather the significant reality that “Hamas has managed to rebuild itself in the Gaza Strip.”

He detailed that Hamas has re-established its presence in many areas, striving to demonstrate its reconstruction efforts and regain a certain level of control, presence, and armament in central Gaza, Deir al-Balah, and the central refugee camps.

“In this sense, those who pinned their hopes on the battle in Rafah have misled the public, suggesting that it would change the entire picture,” Hemo added.

The analyst went on to stress that it had become evident to everyone that even if Hamas were completely eradicated in Rafah over the next two weeks, it would not mean the disappearance of Hamas from the Gaza Strip.