Israel intensifies strikes on Gaza’s Rafah

GAZA STRIP: Israel intensified its bombardment of Rafah in Gaza’s south as the ruined Palestinian enclave’s health ministry announced 29,313 deaths in the war so far.

In Jerusalem, Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz cited “promising early signs of progress” on a new deal to release hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza amid talks conducted by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to secure a pause in the war.

The Israeli army (IDF) said it had stepped up operations in Khan Younis, a city just north of Rafah. It made no mention of attacks on Rafah itself in its daily summary of events in Gaza.

About 1.5 million people are estimated to be crammed into Rafah, on the southernmost fringe of the enclave close to the border with Egypt, most of them having fled their homes further north to escape Israel’s military onslaught.

The flow of aid entering Gaza from Egypt has almost dried up in the past two weeks, and a collapse in security has made it increasingly difficult to distribute the food that does get through, according to UN data and officials.

Israel has said it is preparing for a ground assault on Rafah, despite mounting international opposition, including from staunch ally the United States, over fears for civilian lives.

Gantz told a televised press briefing that efforts were continuing to broker a new hostage release deal and “there are promising early signs of possible progress”.

Gantz warned that if no new deal were struck, the Israeli military would keep fighting in Gaza even into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins next month.

Weeks of negotiations have failed to yield a breakthrough, with Israel dismissing Hamas’ demand for a halt to the war and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for more hostage releases as “delusional”.

During the sole pause in fighting so far, a week-long truce in late November, 110 hostages were freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening by the day. The World Food Programme said on Tuesday it had paused deliveries of food aid to northern Gaza after its trucks were attacked by hungry crowds and faced looting and gunfire.

Britain said that Jordan had air-dropped four tonnes of UK-funded aid including medicines, fuel and food to Tal Al-Hawa Hospital in Gaza’s north but that “more aid is needed, and fast”.

The Israeli military said 29 militants were killed in targeted operations in Khan Younis in the past 24 hours.It said Israeli forces also destroyed a tunnel that stretched over 1 kilometre under Khan Younis and was used by senior Hamas officials and the group’s regional brigade as a hideout and for managing combat operations.