Israeli forces deepen raid in Rafah, kill 14 people across Gaza

CAIRO – Israeli forces killed at least 14 Palestinians in tank and air strikes on northern and central Gaza on Sept 20, as they advanced farther into north-west Rafah near the border with Egypt.

The unrelenting war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried on, even as

a parallel conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border

involving another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, intensified.

Meanwhile, some Palestinians displaced by the Israeli assault on Gaza said they feared their temporary beachside camp would be inundated by high waves.

Palestinian health officials said shelling by Israeli tanks killed eight people and wounded several others in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, and six others were killed in an air strike on a house in Gaza City.

In the northern town of Beit Hanoun, an Israeli strike on a car killed and wounded several Palestinians, medics said.

It was not clear how many of the casualties were combatants and how many were civilians.

In the southern city of Rafah, where the Israeli army has been operating since May, tanks advanced farther to the north-west area, backed by air support, residents said.

They also reported heavy fire and explosions echoing in the eastern areas of the city, where Israeli forces blew up several houses, according to residents and Hamas media.

The Israeli military has said forces operating in Rafah have in past weeks killed hundreds of Palestinian militants, located tunnels and explosives, and destroyed military infrastructure.

Israel’s

demand to keep control of the southern border line

between Rafah and Egypt has been the focus of an international effort to conclude a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

The United States and mediators Qatar and Egypt have, for months, attempted to secure a truce but have failed to bring Israel and Hamas to a final agreement.

Two obstacles have been especially difficult: Israel’s demand to keep forces in the Philadelphi corridor between Gaza and Egypt, and the specifics of an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Encroaching sea

In a new challenge to Palestinians displaced in the Al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza, many are concerned about the danger of high waves. Some tents put up close to the beach were flooded last week.

“Enough, enough, enough. We were pushed by the occupation (Israel) to the sea, where we believed it was safe. Last week, the sea flooded and washed away some tents, and that could happen again. Where would we go?” said electrical engineer Shaban, 47, who was displaced from Gaza City.

This latest war in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has left more than 41,000 Palestinians dead, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations that Israel denies.

Israel says it aims to eradicate the Iran-aligned Hamas, which it deems a threat to its own existence. REUTERS