Austria worried

Israeli assault on Hamas has begun

Rafah is also being bombed by the Israeli air force.(Bild: AFP)

The border town of Rafah was the last refuge for civilians in the Gaza Strip, but the terrorist militia has also established itself there. Now Israel's armed forces are striking on a massive scale. According to medical sources, more than 20 people were killed in air strikes on two houses on Saturday. The Israeli army announced in the evening that two Hamas officials had been killed in bombing raids. 

The Israeli defensive war against the Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip is entering a new phase: now that the terrorist organization has been militarily defeated in large parts of the strip of land on the Mediterranean, the Israeli armed forces are now advancing against what appears to be the last remaining major Hamas stronghold in the south of the Gaza Strip - the town of Rafah on the border with Egypt.

The Israeli army announced in the evening that two Hamas officials had been killed in bombardments. The mayor of the city, Mohammed al-Sufi, also confirmed the number of victims.

Rafah was also bombed by the Israeli air force.(Bild: AFP)

One of those killed was responsible for the security of Hamas leaders, while the other worked as a senior investigator for the radical Islamic group, according to a statement issued by the Israeli military on Saturday evening. A third investigator based in Rafah had also been killed. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he has instructed the military to draw up a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah. At the same time, the troops were to eliminate the Hamas units still remaining in the city.

Israeli soldiers deployed(Bild: AFP)

USA warned Netanyahu
Even the Americans, who are allied with Israel, had repeatedly warned Prime Minister Netanyahu against this step. Around 1.3 million people are currently crowded into the city, which was home to around 300,000 inhabitants before the war.

They have fled there from all over the Gaza Strip - often on the orders of the Israeli army. In addition, most of the aid deliveries, which are already far too sparse, are handled via the border crossing with Egypt.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu sees no other option than to strike massively in Rafah as well. "It is impossible to achieve the war goal of eliminating Hamas if four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah," says the head of government. He had instructed the army to present a "combined plan to evacuate the population and destroy the battalions" of Hamas.

Austria "very concerned"
 Austria also joins in the international criticism of the Israeli attacks on the border town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. It is "very concerned about a possible military operation in Rafah without a way out for civilians", the Foreign Ministry announced on X (formerly Twitter) late on Saturday evening. "Civilians must be protected at all times," it said in the post, which also included a commitment to Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas terror.

According to the Foreign Ministry, "humanitarian pauses" are needed so that the hostages can get out of the Gaza Strip and humanitarian aid can get in.