Israeli forces step up strikes across Gaza

CAIRO: Israeli forces pounded Rafah and other areas across the Gaza Strip and engaged in close-quarter combat with fighters led by Hamas on Friday.

Residents claimed that the Israeli seemed to be attempting to finish capturing Rafah, the city on the southern border of the enclave that has been the target of an Israeli attack since the beginning of last month.

After seizing control of the east, south, and center of the city, tanks were now attempting to make their way into the western and northern sections. Over a million displaced people were being housed in the city, but most of them had to escape once more as Israeli troops opened fire from ships, aircraft, and tanks off the shore.

READ: Israeli shelling kills dozens across Gaza amid intense conflict

Twelve Palestinians have been killed in separate Israeli military attacks on Friday, according to health authorities.

According to the Israeli military, troops were engaged in “close-quarters combat” in the Rafah region while carrying out “precise, intelligence-based” operations. It recorded events occurring throughout the enclave as well. Residents of Rafah have said that throughout the last two days, the Israeli raid has accelerated. They said that there had been nearly constant noises of explosions and gunshots, signifying intense battle.

One of the worst nights ever was spent in western Rafah last night; the region was bombed by drones, planes, tanks, and navy vessels. We believe the occupation is attempting to seize total control of the city,” said 45-year-old Hatem, who was contacted by SMS.

“They might be slowing down because they are receiving a lot of damage from the resistance fighters.”

Israel’s offensive is currently concentrated on the two locations that its soldiers still haven’t stormed: the area surrounding Deir Al Balah in the center of Gaza and Rafah on its southern border.

Rafah’s mayor, Ahmed Al Sofi, said in a statement released on Friday that “the entire city of Rafah is an area of Israeli military operations.” The statement was distributed by Hamas media.

“The city is experiencing a humanitarian crisis, with individuals passing away inside their tents as a result of Israeli bombardment,” he continued.

According to Sofi, the city did not have a working medical facility, and the evacuated families and surviving citizens did not have access to even the barest necessities of food and water.

The extreme western part of the city, which had been providing refuge to over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents prior to the Israeli onslaught, may have held less than 100,000 people, according to data provided by the UN and Palestinian organizations.

In the Shaboura camp in Rafah, Hamas announced on Thursday that its forces had destroyed two Israeli tanks with anti-tank missiles and killed troops attempting to escape via the alleyways.

Three individuals, including a father and son, were killed by an Israeli air attack in Khan Younis, which is adjacent, on Friday, according to doctors.

Meanwhile, in the northern part of the enclave, Israeli soldiers persisted in their fresh incursion into a few areas of Gaza City. Locals said that on Thursday, the Israeli army had demolished many houses in the center of Gaza City.