The Israeli army bombarded Rafah with more than 100 people
The "safe zone" has become a living hell
Beginning in the early morning of 12 February local time, the Israeli army launched a land, sea and air amphibious operation against Rafah and the surrounding areas, and the intensity was the most intense in recent times. At least 40 strikes were carried out in the centre of Rafah, targeting mainly homes and mosques, and swaths of residential areas were razed to the ground. These sites are home to a large number of displaced persons who have fled northern Gaza. According to the Palestinian News Agency, as of the 13th, the death toll from the attack has exceeded 100 and hundreds more have been injured. Locals describe Rafa as hell on earth.
People inspect the wreckage of a building in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on February 12. Source: Xinhua News Agency
To the outrage of the international community, Rafah, a city at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, announced a "safe zone" by the Israeli army last year, which demanded that Palestinians move south through leaflets, radio and mobile phone messages before launching a ground assault on Gaza City. Rafah, a port city on the border with Egypt, is the first stop for the delivery of humanitarian relief into the Gaza Strip, and it is also the farthest city that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip can go to from the center of the fighting, and it is also the concentration area of the United Nations-run refuge facilities, so Rafah is also known as the "last refuge" for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. According to statistics, there are currently about 1.4 million Palestinian refugees in Rafah.
The Rafah area is densely populated. Source: AP
The Israeli attack on Rafah has sparked international condemnation and concern
China: Stop as soon as possible!
King Abdullah II of Jordan, who is visiting the United States, warned after meeting with US President Joe Biden on the 12th that as the Israeli army launches an all-round attack on this "last refuge", it will inevitably lead to "catastrophic consequences". Abdullah II stressed that we must not allow Israel to attack Rafah, which would cause another humanitarian catastrophe and that the current situation is completely unacceptable.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry "condemns in the strongest terms" the "mass killings" that the Israeli army continues to perpetrate against Palestinians, especially displaced persons. Hamas issued a statement on the 12th, condemning Biden and the U.S. government for "full responsibility" for this, and they gave the Israeli side the "green light" to openly provide political support, financial and weapons assistance to the Israeli side. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has previously warned that Israel's "attack on overcrowded Rafah may constitute a war crime."
On the 13th, the Chinese Foreign Ministry responded that China is highly concerned about the development of the situation in the Rafah area, opposes and condemns the harm to civilians and violations of international law, and calls on Israel to stop military operations as soon as possible, make every effort to avoid casualties among innocent civilians, and prevent a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Rafah area.
European countries were equally alarmed by Israel's massive attack on Rafah. German Foreign Minister Baerbock said in a post on social media platforms that a ground operation against Rafah would cause a "humanitarian catastrophe." British Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed "deep concern" about the prospects for Israeli offensive operations. European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "Do you want to evacuate refugees to the moon?"
Borrell held a press conference after attending the informal meeting of the European Council in Brussels, Belgium on the 12th. Source: AFP
However, the Israeli side said that this was "the final sprint of the Israeli army." In an ABC interview broadcast on the 10th, Netanyahu said: "Victory is within reach. This is our final sprint. We will destroy the remnants of the Hamas elements in Rafah in one fell swoop. ”
Say one thing and do another
Is the U.S. government backing up Israel?
After questioning Israel about its intensified behavior, Borrell also almost unabashedly accused the United States of turning to Israel for the sake of its own strategic interests, and called on the United States to "reduce the supply of weapons to Israel." Statistics show that over the past few years, the United States has provided an average of about $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel every year, but in the nearly four months since the outbreak of the new conflict, the United States has rapidly launched an aid package of $14.5 billion, with an additional $14 billion earlier this month.
Human rights groups have demanded that the Dutch government stop supplying parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel. Source: Reuters
Some people in Europe are angry at the US side's "arch fire." According to Reuters, the Dutch Court of Appeal ordered on the 12th to prohibit the Dutch government from exporting all F-35 fighter parts to Israel, because these Dutch-made parts will likely be used to attack Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, in violation of international law. The lawsuit was initiated by a civil society organization, but the Dutch government, apparently unwilling to offend the United States, said it would appeal to the Supreme Court.
Public opinion has questioned that Israel's large-scale attack on Rafah in disregard of the strong opposition of the international community is a sabotage of the peace talks. Just last month, CIA Director Burns led secret talks in Paris with the head of Israel's intelligence and secret service (Mossad), the head of Egypt's intelligence service, and the prime minister of Qatar. At that time, the US and Western media were generally optimistic about the results of the peace talks, describing them as "making substantial progress." And just before the large-scale Israeli attack on Rafah, US President Joe Biden also had a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for about 45 minutes. After the call, the US press release also publicly revealed for the first time that Biden warned the Israeli army not to plan to take action against Rafah. The White House even still said that there was "real progress" in the Paris peace talks.
However, within 24 hours, the Israeli army launched a large-scale attack on Rafah. NBC later reported, citing anonymous sources, that Biden had lost patience with Netanyahu, describing him as "stubborn" and unwilling to consider U.S. demands. In private conversations, Biden also called him a "bastard."
Regarding the Israeli army's attack on Rafah, Biden also took the opportunity of King Abdullah's visit to Jordan on the 12th to tell the media that the United States is "trying to promote" Israel and Hamas to reach a six-week ceasefire agreement. He also said that the United States opposes all attacks on the people of Gaza.
Some analysts have pointed out that although the Biden administration is ostensibly urging Israel to cease fire, it has not actually reduced its support for Israel. In addition to continuing to supply weapons, the United States has provided diplomatic support to Israel. A few days ago, South Africa filed a complaint against Israel for genocide in the International Court of Justice. While calls for a ceasefire at the United Nations are high, the United States has repeatedly vetoed the demand. A commentary in the American magazine Foreign Affairs called the U.S. approach to Israel "hypocritical" and that the Biden administration must assess Israel's actions and hold them accountable.
Author丨Fu Youqian, Qiu Yatong, Shenzhen Satellite TV direct news editor
Editor丨Guo Jinchi, Editor-in-Chief of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News