Closing summary
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
The Israeli military has told residents of central Rafah to evacuate, signalling a major expansion of its military operations in the city and threatening the displacement of hundreds of thousands more people. The new instructions to residents suggest a coming offensive will take the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) into the centre of Rafah and on to a likely advance through the entire city. On Saturday morning, Israeli tanks were positioned on Salahuddin Road, which divides central Rafah from the already evacuated eastern neighbourhoods, witnesses said.
More than 150,000 people have already fled the southern city in Gaza since receiving warnings on Monday from the IDF of an imminent military operation, marking one of the largest displacements for many months. Many have been displaced many times as they have fled successive Israeli military offensives across Gaza. The people of Rafah are “exhausted, degraded, humiliated” after days of “relentless” bombardment, an Unrwa official said.
The Biden administration is offering Israel “valuable assistance” in an attempt to stave off a full-scale Israeli invasion of Rafah, according to a report. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has rejected US pressure to hold off an attack on Rafah, saying Hamas has based most of its top leaders and remaining forces there.
Closure of the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, and the difficulties in reaching the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel because of the fighting, mean limited aid is reaching southern and central Gaza. The IDF seized the Rafah border crossing with Egypt last week in what it said was a “precise, targeted operation”; since then, prices for some basic necessities have soared. Though the Kerem Shalom crossing is open, it is too dangerous for aid agencies to collect supplies crossing from Israel.
Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the entry of aid into Gaza from the Rafah crossing, citing Israel’s “unacceptable escalation”, Egyptian media is reporting. Red Crescent sources in Egypt said shipments had completely halted, according to Reuters.
At least 34,971 Palestinians have been killed and 78,641 others wounded in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said on Saturday.
Protesters gathered across Israel on Saturday to protest against the government and call for early elections as well as the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Hamas armed wing said the British-Israeli hostage Nadav Popplewell died of wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike more than a month ago. Popplewell, 51, was a captive taken from Kibbutz Nirim and a video previously showed him displaying visible signs of physical abuse.
The US has said it is “reasonable to assess” that the weapons it has provided to Israel have been used in ways that are “inconsistent” with international human rights law, but that there is not enough concrete evidence to link specific US-supplied weapons to violations or warrant cutting the supply of arms.
Some Palestinians in the US say they have been “heartened” by the “phenomenal” support they have seen from student demonstrators around the country. Risking suspension, expulsion and even arrest, US students have spent the last few weeks protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza and calling for their schools to financially divest from weapons manufacturing companies who supply the Israeli military.
Updated
US offers Israel intelligence and supplies to avoid full-scale Rafah invasion – report
The Biden administration is offering Israel “valuable assistance” in an attempt to stave off a full-scale invasion of Rafah, according to a Washington Post report.
The US offer includes sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military locate Hamas leaders and the group’s hidden tunnels, the report says, in exchange for Israel holding back on its planned military operation in Gaza’s southernmost city.
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