Israeli tanks, supported by warplanes and drones, pushed deeper into Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of eight people, according to local residents and Palestinian medics.
The incursion occurred after midnight, with tanks moving into five neighborhoods. Heavy shelling and gunfire struck the tents of displaced families in the Al-Mawasi area, further west in the coastal enclave.
Despite being eight months into the war, fighting continues unabated. Efforts by international mediators, including the United States, to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have been unsuccessful.
On Wednesday, twelve Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike targeting citizens and merchants in southern Gaza, as they awaited aid convoys near the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Israeli forces have devastated much of Gaza, capturing significant portions of the territory but failing to eliminate Hamas or secure the release of Israeli hostages. Medics and Hamas media reported eight deaths in Al-Mawasi, with numerous families fleeing north in panic. Israeli forces allegedly destroyed several homes in western Rafah, which previously sheltered over half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents before the ground offensive began, forcing most to move north.
A resident of Rafah described the night as horrific, with continuous fire from planes, drones, and tanks. The Israeli military is investigating the fatalities.
An Israeli commander disclosed plans to confront Hamas in Shaboura and Tel Al-Sultan in Rafah, aiming to dismantle remaining battalions.
The military maintains control over the Rafah-Egypt border. Social media footage showed the destroyed Rafah crossing, burnt buildings, and Israeli tanks positioned with Israeli flags.
Despite the destruction, the Israeli military claims aid into Gaza remains unimpeded. Further north, Israeli tanks re-entered Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood, with residents reporting heavy tank and warplane fire, alongside gun battles with Hamas.
An Israeli airstrike in the Sheikh Radwan suburb of Gaza City killed four Palestinians, including a child, among 20 fatalities reported across Gaza on Wednesday. Armed factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, claimed to have engaged Israeli forces using anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs, and explosive devices.
Later on Wednesday, Palestinian gunmen fired rockets at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza, according to the Israeli military.
The current offensive was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on October 7, which resulted in around 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of over 250 hostages. Since then, the conflict has left Gaza in ruins, with over 37,400 Palestinians killed, according to health authorities, and a significant portion of the population homeless and destitute.
Despite a brief truce in November, attempts to establish a ceasefire have failed. Hamas demands an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on eradicating Hamas and freeing the hostages before ending the conflict.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has raised concerns about potential violations of war laws by Israeli forces. A report assessing six Israeli attacks noted possible systematic breaches of principles like distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack. Israel’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva rejected the analysis as flawed.