Israel is ‘Moving Ahead’ with Rafah Invasion as Lebanon Hit with Multiple Strikes
Israel said on Wednesday that it is “moving ahead” with its anticipated ground invasion into Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, despite international concerns for the safety of the million civilians sheltering there.
“The four battalions which remain in Rafah cannot be shielded from Israel. They will be attacked,” government spokesman David Mencer told a press briefing.
The military is reportedly organising a mass movement of the civilians into tents in Khan Younis, which is against advice of humanitarians who have warned that conditions are not suitable for living amid a collapse in sanitation and destruction of buildings.
Meanwhile, Israel pummelled Lebanon in a round of heavy airstrikes throughout Wednesday near the border towns of Aita al-Shaab on Wednesday, following a tit-for-tat exchanges with Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it struck “40 Hezbollah targets” in the area, including “storage facilities” and “weaponry”.
The comments came as more dead bodies were discovered at a mass grave the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Younis, bringing the total to over 400. Elderly people, women and children, have been found among the dead, aid sources have said.
