Israeli Ground Units Enter Rafah Outskirts

Last updated on August 7th, 2024 at 04:29 pm

The Israeli military conducted initial ground combat operations in the southern Gazan city of Rafah overnight.

Following a civilian evacuation order on Monday and targeted air strikes throughout the city, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced components of its 162nd Division had entered eastern Rafah.

The IDF said components of the 162nd Division, a tank and armored vehicle unit, seized control on the Gazan side of the Rafah Crossing point, located near the southernmost outskirts of the city.

The IDF said the ground operation began overnight and continued into Tuesday morning.

The IDF shared video footage purporting to show armored vehicles of its 401st Brigade, a component of the 162nd Division, driving through a traffic circle on the Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing.

The Israeli military said it seized this particular location after they determined enemy combatants used the area to fire mortars on the Karem Shalom crossing, about two miles south, on Sunday. The mortar barrage killed four Israeli service members and wounded several others.

This initial ground assault on the Rafah Crossing comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed for weeks to send forces into Rafah.

The Netanyahu administration regards Rafah as one of the last Hamas strongholds in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu has called for Hamas’s total elimination after Hamas militants entered southern Israel and carried out widespread attacks on Oct. 7.

Biden Admin Urged Against Rafah Operations

President Joe Biden’s administration had repeatedly urged against a full-scale assault in Rafah, citing concerns about civilian casualties.

Earlier in the war, Israeli forces attacking from the northern end of the Gaza Strip had advised civilians to flee south to safety. With the Israeli operation continuing to move south, around a million Gazans have gathered in and around the city.

Last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz suggested the Israeli side might hold off on a Rafah operation if negotiators reach an agreement for Hamas to release some hostages taken on Oct. 7. Netanyahu later reiterated that he believes Hamas forces remain in Rafah and that a ground operation would eventually be needed to defeat them.

“The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” Netanyahu said in an April 30 press statement. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate Hamas’ battalions there—with or without a deal—to achieve the total victory.”

Speaking at an April 29, World Economic Forum event in Saudi Arabia last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Hamas to accept the latest Israeli hostage terms, but reiterated the Biden administration’s opposition to a ground assault on the city.

“We’ve said clearly and for some time now on Rafah that in the absence of a plan to ensure that civilians will not be harmed, we can’t support a military—a major military operation in Rafah,” Blinken said. “And we have not yet seen a plan that gives us confidence that civilians can be effectively protected.”

Speaking at a White House press briefing on Monday, as Israeli forces began issuing evacuation notices near Rafah, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden spoke with Netanyahu by phone earlier in the day. Kirby said Biden reiterated his opposition to a military assault in Rafah during the call.