On Friday, Israeli forces launched an intense assault on Rafah in southern Gaza, along with other regions in the area, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 Palestinians. This was reported by both local residents and the Israeli military, which stated that troops were involved in close-quarter combat with Hamas fighters.
According to residents, the Israeli forces seemed focused on completing their capture of Rafah, a city bordering Egypt and a central target of the Israeli offensive since early May.
Tanks advanced into the western and northern sectors of the city, having already secured the eastern, southern, and central parts. Aerial, tank, and naval bombardments forced more residents to flee Rafah, which, a few months prior, had been a refuge for over a million displaced people, most of whom have since been displaced again.
