Award Banner
Award Banner

Israel says Rafah assault looms; massive Gaza airstrikes end weeks of relative calm

Israel says Rafah assault looms; massive Gaza airstrikes end weeks of relative calm
A Palestinian boy sits at the rubble of a house destroyed by Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the northern Gaza Strip, April 22, 2024.
PHOTO: Reuters

CAIRO/JERUSALEM - Israeli warplanes pounded the northern Gaza strip for a second day on Wednesday (April 24) in a fierce assault that has shattered weeks of comparative calm, and Israel said it was moving forward with plans for an all-out assault on Rafah in the south.

After an abrupt Israeli pullback at the start of this month, Palestinians at both ends of the Gaza Strip were again fleeing for their lives from bombing they described as some of the war's worst.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said Israel was "moving ahead" with its plans for a ground operation on Rafah but gave no timeline.

Western countries, including Israel's closest ally the United States, have pleaded with it to hold back from attacking the city on Gaza's southern edge, which is sheltering more than half the enclave's 2.3 million people.

At the White House, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington was still talking with Israel about Rafah and officials from both countries expected to meet again in person soon.

"We've had very detailed discussions... to talk through not just our concerns, but our view that there is a different way to go about dealing with the Hamas threat in Rafah," he told reporters.

A senior Israeli defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel was poised to evacuate civilians ahead of its attack and had bought 40,000 tents that could house 10-12 people each. All that remained was for Netanyahu to give the order.

Displaced people sheltering in Rafah are weighing whether to flee again. Tamer Al-Burai, who fled from Gaza City and is now living in Rafah in a cluster of tents with seven households of extended family, said the entire group was heading to the north "since Israel sounds more serious in its threats this time".

"We have women, children, elderly and sick people, who may face problems escaping should the invasion happen suddenly," he told Reuters over a chat app. "Invasions happen under heavy fire and people die as they leave. So we decided we should leave earlier."

Read Also
Israel steps up strikes across Gaza, orders new evacuations in north
world
Israel steps up strikes across Gaza, orders new evacuations in north

Hamas releases hostage video

At the opposite end of the Gaza Strip in the north, the city of Beit Lahiya came under massive shelling for a second day on Wednesday, a day after the Israeli military ordered residents out of four districts declared a "dangerous combat zone".

Israel said its operations there targeted areas from where the armed wing of Hamas-aligned Islamic Jihad fired rockets at two Israeli border settlements on Tuesday.

Israel has said it will eradicate Hamas following the militant group's rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Hamas released a video on Wednesday that apparently showed Israeli American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, alive. His father, Jonathan Polin, urged leaders to reach a ceasefire deal.

"We're relieved to see him alive but we're also concerned about his health and wellbeing as well as that of all of the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region," his father said in a video message.

The war, now in its seventh month, has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The offensive has laid to waste much of the enclave, displacing most of its 2.3 million people and creating a humanitarian crisis.

In the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes have killed at least 79 Palestinians and wounded 86, the Gaza Health Ministry said.

In the US, protests, some broken up by police, against Israel's campaign in Gaza are spreading on college campuses, as are concerns about Jewish students facing intimidation or antisemitism.

Democratic US President Joe Biden, who seeks re-election in November, has seen his stalwart backing of Israel erode support among Democratic voters.

Asked about the protests, the White House walked a careful line on Wednesday. Biden's press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president believes free speech and nondiscrimination are important on college campuses and students should feel safe.

Residents in the north of Gaza, many of whom have started to return to homes abandoned in the first phase of the war, on Wednesday described some of the most intense bombing since the war's early weeks.

"We don't know why this is all happening. Is it because ... we finally got some aid through after months of starvation, and the Israelis didn't like that?" said Mohammad Jamal, 29, a resident of Gaza City.

In Washington, Sullivan said the US has seen a marked increase in aid reaching Gaza and especially vulnerable north Gaza since Biden and Netanyahu spoke on April 4. Sullivan said the aid flow needed to increase further, a repeated US demand.

The comment came after UN aid agency UNRWA said on Tuesday that the number of relief trucks entering the enclave had reached the highest point so far in the conflict.

In the Nasser hospital complex, the main medical facility in the south, authorities said they had recovered more bodies from a mass grave, taking the total to 334.

Palestinians say Israeli troops buried corpses there with bulldozers to cover up crimes. The Israeli military denies this although it says its troops dug up some bodies at the site and reburied them after testing to make sure no hostages were there.

ALSO READ: UN rights chief 'horrified' by mass grave reports at Gaza hospitals

Source: Reuters

homepage

trending

trending
    Eleanor Lee denies calling China nationals 'stupid' in leaked audio clip, says she has 'love and gratitude' for the country
    Flor Patisserie repeats call for government help after landlord hikes rent by 57%
    Godzilla 'seen' at Marina Bay in celebration of its 70th anniversary
    Missing 81-year-old man found on Bartley HDB rooftop after 6 days
    Not just the blues: Coping with postpartum depression as a working mum
    Want something for mum that aren't flowers or chocolates? Here are some practical Mother's Day gifts
    'Why didn't my mum try harder?' Woman serving jail time confronts painful past in Mother's Day visit
    Singapore car allegedly made illegal U-turn on Second Link in Johor, causing fatal accident
    'We're not running away': PSP's Tan Cheng Bock reflects on GE2025, says party will move forward
    Man arrested for suspected drug offences, injuring police officers in Bugis
    Behind the scenes: We followed the Traffic Police to find out what goes on during a heavy vehicle speeding enforcement operations exercise
    5 former schools in Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris set to be replaced by new homes

Singapore

Singapore
    • Fire breaks out in Tampines industrial building, students from school nearby evacuated
    • Man seeks apology from cyclist who slapped son after collision at Tampines junction
    • 'This is not who we are as a people': Shanmugam on Yishun community cat found killed; feeder appeals for witnesses
    • 'We rejoice at the election': Singapore Archdiocese and congregants congratulate new pontiff Pope Leo XIV
    • Singaporean William Goh among 133 cardinals worldwide choosing the new pope
    • Singapore Navy acquires 2 additional Invincible-class submarines, bringing fleet to 6
    • 2 arrested after video of man viciously assaulting another goes viral
    • Foreigner behind MRT station molestation caught 7 years later when he re-entered Singapore
    • Chinese student in Singapore allegedly kidnapped in KL, $628k ransom demanded from parents
    • 'Two giants of public service': PM Wong thanks Teo Chee Hean and Heng Swee Keat as they retire from politics

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 3 made-with-Singapore films selected for 2025 Cannes Film Festival
    • 'My wife told me I'm not as agile as before': Christopher Lee recalls Fann Wong's warning prior to bike trip with brother around Taiwan
    • Lee Chae-min recounts surprising Crushology 101 cast and crew with how much he perspired on set
    • Gossip mill: Fan who kissed BTS' Jin surrenders, Song Ji-hyo trains as a haenyeo, Chris Wang wipes social media after alleged divorce
    • 'She's my best friend': Miley Cyrus comments on rumours between her and her mum
    • 'He's younger than me': Melanie Hamrick defends 44-year-age gap between her and fiance Mick Jagger
    • Rose McGowan quit acting career for 'silence' away from Hollywood
    • Brie Larson to release party-themed cookbook
    • Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers plan to accuse ex-girlfriend of domestic violence at sex trafficking trial
    • Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum set for release in December 2027

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Cinema-themed Korean restaurant opens at Changi Airport with banchan and ice-cream buffet
    • Burnt Ends in top 5 of World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2025 list, 3 other Singapore steakhouses make the cut
    • Tesla Model 3 Performance review: The ultimate Tesla for the performance freak
    • Isetan at Tampines Mall to shutter in November after almost 30 years
    • 5 types of unusual bak chang to try this Dragon Boat Festival 2025
    • These $4m freehold landed homes in Joo Chiat have a 1.4 plot ratio: What buyers should know
    • I planned my dream road trip - and it still didn't go as planned
    • Traditional bak zhang to reach for this Dragon Boat Festival
    • Are multi-generation flats the next million-dollar HDB trend?
    • Top picks for Mother's Day 2025 in Singapore: Brunches, blooms and spa bliss

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Google Pixel 9a: The best AI-centric phone under $800 in 2025?
    • Western intelligence agencies warn spyware threat targeting Taiwan, Tibetan rights advocates
    • Taiwan says China using generative AI to ramp up disinformation and 'divide' the island
    • Russian court fines Telegram app for refusal to remove anti-government content, TASS reports
    • One Beijing man's quest to keep cooking — and connecting with Americans — on camera
    • Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in June with US$449.99 price tag
    • Games in April: RPGs, racing and Ronaldo in a fighting game
    • Is it time to get a MacBook at a good price? The M4 MacBook Air says yes

Money

Money
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (May 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Why paying minimum on credit cards may cost you in the long run
    • Here's where you can find the biggest 2-bedder condos under $1.8m in 2025
    • Best fixed deposit rates in Singapore (May 2025): Minimum deposits from $500, rates up to 2.50%
    • 5-room DBSS flat in Kallang sets new town all-time-high record at $1.49m
    • All-time high of 141 million-dollar flats sold in April 2025 as HDB resale prices, volume continue to rise
    • Japan, China, South Korea, Asean enhance regional financial safety net
    • Trump plans to hit movies made outside US with 100% tariffs
    • Do high floors equal to high returns? Let's unpack the numbers

Latest

Latest
  • Iran, US to resume nuclear talks amid clashing red lines
  • Panama's ex-president Martinelli departs for asylum in Colombia
  • South Korea's former PM Han drops presidential bid, ending rift among conservatives
  • Pope Leo tells cardinals they must continue 'precious legacy' of Pope Francis
  • Wounded Ukrainian soldiers ask: What ceasefire?
  • Iran will not back down from nuclear rights, foreign minister says
  • Explosions reported after India and Pakistan agree to ceasefire
  • World reacts after India, Pakistan agree to stop firing
  • Pope Leo visits Pope Francis' tomb and Marian shrine on first trip outside Vatican

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • 'Dog will return soon': GE2025 independent candidate Jeremy Tan wants to contest again
  • Ong Ye Kung leads PAP team to victory while elder brother Howard Ong loses in Australia's election on the same day
  • Tan Kiat How weighs in on viral video of Gan Kim Yong being ignored by passers-by in Punggol
  • PSP's Tan Cheng Bock turns 85; SDP's Paul Tambyah joins celebration at Teban Gardens
  • PM Wong urges voters to 'choose leaders of good character' in PAP's first party political broadcast
  • It is 'important for Singapore's democracy' that WP wins more seats, says Pritam in election broadcast
  • GE2025: PSP, RDU, SDP, PPP, PAR, NSP promise to push for policy changes if elected to Parliament in first political broadcast
  • 'Everyone has the right to express their feelings': WP candidates address four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC
  • PAP's Desmond Lee responds to opposition's calls for GST exemption, says 'we want to make it progressive'
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.