Eyewitnesses described seeing tanks and armored vehicles, with artillery shells reaching as far as the tent camp for displaced people in the western part of the city, which is an evacuation zone.
As it stated, the Israeli military has full control over the Philadelphi Corridor and is now systematically demolishing homes in the eastern part of Rafah city, Al Jazeera reported.
The entire eastern part of Rafah, including the as-Salam and al-Jenina neighborhoods, has been cleared of residential buildings and public facilities.
After withdrawing from Jthe abalia refugee camp yesterday, Israeli forces have begun to move out of more areas of northern Gaza, including Tall az-Zaatar, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon, according to reporters on the ground.
Palestinian rescuers are now beginning to recover the bodies of people killed in these areas where Israeli ground troops had been operating for weeks, according to the reports.
“Decisive international action” – including sanctions and an arms embargo – must be imposed on Israel over its widely condemned assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, dozens of UN experts have demanded.
Israel’s attack on Rafah is not a “major operation”, the US State Department said, even though thousands of troops are in the area, dozens of Palestinians have been killed, and one million people displaced.
The Israeli forces have killed more than 60 people –including many women and children– in four days of attacks on “safe zones” in Rafah, Save the Children charity said.
A UN agency said 18,500 pregnant Palestinian women are fleeing Rafah’s “unrelenting nightmare”.
At least 36,224 Palestinians have been killed and 81,777 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.