Israeli army begins operations in Rafah, launches successive missile strikes

Israel's defense force, IDF, has announced that it is currently engaging in attacks in Rafah. The IDF said it is conducting targeted strikes against Hamas in eastern Rafah. Due to the attacks carried out by Israel, aid depots caught fire and some aid trucks were damaged in the attack. The fire was later brought under control. The attack was carried out after Israel announced that it would start a ground operation in Rafah. Earlier, Israel called on Palestinians evacuate parts of eastern Rafah ahead of planned ground offensive in the southern Gaza city. According to the Israeli Army Radio, about 100,000 Palestinians lived in the area east of Rafah. The area that the Israeli army wants to be evacuated includes the Rafah border gate on the Egyptian border, which is the main entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza and the only crossing point used by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Around 100,000 people are instructed to head for an "expanded humanitarian area" in Khan Younis and al-Mawasi. US President Joe Biden on Monday reiterated Washington’s concerns about Rafah’s invasion. In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,