International Desk: Ignoring the calls of the international community, hundreds of innocent Palestinians, including women and children, lost their lives in Israel’s barbaric attack on the Rafah city of South Gaza, Palestine.
In addition, 230 Palestinians were seriously injured in the Israeli attack. On Monday (February 12), the Russian state news agency Tas reported this, citing the Lebanese media outlet Al-Mayadeen TV.
On Sunday, several buildings were attacked in the southern city on the border with Egypt. At least 25 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house. They also carried out deadly airstrikes on the famous Al-Huda and Al-Rahma mosques in Gaza. Displaced Palestinians took shelter there.
Hamas has warned that it will withdraw from the prisoner exchange talks if it invades Rafah, which shelters about 1.5 million displaced Palestinians. About 1.5 million people are now staying in this area, including the displaced Palestinians in northern and central Gaza. Residents took refuge in Rafah on the orders of the Israeli forces during the ground operations in those two areas.
A massive loss of life is feared if the ground operation begins in Rafah. Various countries, including the United Nations and the United States, have warned about this. The US has already stated that it does not support ground operations there. However, Hamas commented that this position from Washington is not enough to stop the bloodshed in Rafah.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron warned of the operation in Rafah, saying half of Gaza’s residents have now taken refuge in the area. Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Brines Sloat said the ground operation could kill many civilians there.
Hamas has warned it will pull out of ongoing prisoner exchange talks if a ground offensive is launched in the southern Gaza border town. Hamas-run al-Aqsa television reported this, quoting a senior leader.
Earlier, senior Hamas official Mohammad Najjal said that negotiations to reach a ceasefire are continuing.
Najjal said Netanyahu wants to continue fighting to retain power. He does not want to lose his right-wing coalition. Netanyahu wants to continue the war until Donald Trump wins the November US election.
Meanwhile, their family members and workers of an organization called ‘Constitution from Bilou’ protested in front of the Israeli parliament’s Knesset, demanding the release of the hostages. In addition, such protests are happening almost every day in Tel Aviv, Haaretz reported.
An Israeli airstrike on a house east of Rafah killed 25 people on Sunday. Several people were injured. These displaced Palestinians took refuge in that house.
According to the Ministry of Health of Gaza, 112 people were killed in the last 24 hours in the Israeli attack. With this, 28 thousand 176 people have been killed in the Israeli attack on Gaza since November 7. 70 percent of the Palestinians killed were women and children.
