Israel’s war on Gaza live: More than 100,000 Palestinians flee Rafah
- Israeli forces have expanded military operations, targeting residential towers and public facilities across Rafah with F-16 aircraft and attack drones.
- Some 110,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah, according to the UNRWA, since Israel began advancing troops towards the east of Rafah and intensifying attacks on the city on Monday.
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Why is UNGA’s Palestine vote significant?
Palestine cause ‘gaining ground’
Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, says today’s planned vote at the UN General Assembly on a resolution to grant Palestine new “rights and privileges” is evidence that Palestinians are “gaining ground” in the eyes of the world.
“Something incredibly important is happening in the world today,” Bishara said. “Israel is getting a beating around the world, while Palestine is getting a beating in the Middle East.”
“Palestine the cause – whether it’s at the United Nations or Western capitals or university campuses – is certainly gaining ground,” he added.
Israeli security cabinet approved ‘expansion’ of Rafah operation: Report
Israel’s security cabinet approved the “expansion of the area of operation” of the Israeli forces in Rafah, Axios has reported citing three sources with knowledge of the details.
Two of the unnamed sources said this would be a “measured expansion” that did not cross US President Joe Biden’s red line while the third said it could be seen as crossing the line.
Earlier this week, Biden said the US was still committed to Israel’s defence and would supply rocket interceptors and other defensive arms but, if Israeli forces invade Rafah, “we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.”
The three sources also told Axios the cabinet instructed the Israeli negotiations to continue efforts to reach a captive deal and try to formulate a new initiative that would lead to a breakthrough, with far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich voted against this decision.
ICRC says ‘desperate’ to bring supplies into Gaza
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that hundreds of thousands of people are facing “an extremely chaotic situation” as they try to flee Israel’s Rafah offensive.
“The food and water and medical supplies situation is critical and if this continues, then we move towards catastrophic, or even more catastrophic, consequences from the situation that we now see,” ICRC spokesperson Jason Straziuso told Al Jazeera.
He said the ICRC is “constantly asking” Israeli officials to allow access to humanitarian goods following the shutdown of the crossings.
“The Israeli officials know that we are desperate to bring in more supply trucks which we have waiting to cross the border as soon as they’re able to,” Straziuso said.
“There’s conversations also taking place about the need to spare civilian lives – no targeting of civilians, no targeting of civilian objects, meaning buildings, schools, medical facilities,” he added. “Those talks have been happening for months.”
