Israeli raid on Rafah: US and EU’s reaction

Translated by Valeria D’Alessandro

Israeli raid on Rafah: US and EU’s reaction

On the morning of February 12th, Israel launched an airstrike on Rafah, a Palestinian city located in the extreme south of Gaza. Rafah had been the only city not yet devastated by Israeli bombing. Since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, civilians have flooded into Rafah, as reported by the Israeli army, seeking refuge from attacks in the northern part of the Strip. Currently, more than one million displaced persons are living in Rafah, where living conditions are extremely precarious, with many sleeping in tents under plastic sheets or in the streets. The population density was already high before October 7th, but with the arrival of additional refugees, it has become the highest on the planet. This situation underscores the significant difficulties and distress faced by those living there, even without recent bombings. However, bombings have now begun, possibly signaling the onset of an imminent urban battle.

The residents of Rafah discovered that it was not a ground attack, but an operation conducted by Israeli special forces to free two hostages in the neighborhood of Shaboura. These hostages, two men aged 60 and 70 with dual Israeli and Argentinian citizenship, were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th from a Kibbutz. Israeli soldiers breached a door on the second floor of a building, neutralizing three Hamas guards and evacuating the hostages using armored vehicles to exit the city. Simultaneously, air attacks were conducted in the surrounding area of the operation to deter Hamas from interfering with the special forces, resulting in the deaths of more than 60 people.

Rafah’s refugees find themselves without a way out: on one side, there is the sea, and on the other, there is the Israeli frontier. Any attempt to go south would immediately bring them to the Egyptian frontier, which is closely monitored by the army of the Al-Sisi regime. Going back north could also pose difficulties, as most of their houses have been destroyed, infrastructures are damaged, and humanitarian aid scarcely reaches that part of the country. Moreover, any displacement is extremely dangerous.

According to the Israeli press, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that the ground attack in Rafah would take place in two weeks and that a humanitarian corridor would be established towards the north to allow the population to evacuate the area. The Prime Minister declared that if the last four sections of Hamas' army in Rafah are not destroyed and the leaders of their organization in Gaza are not captured, the war will have been totally in vain. However, the plan does not take into consideration that, even if Rafah were to have no civilian targets, Hamas is not a static organization and will not wait passively for the advancement of Israeli forces.

The Israeli Prime Minister declared, "We sincerely desire to achieve the demilitarization of the Strip, which implies gaining control of security and assuming ultimate responsibility for the entire western area of the Jordan River, including the Gaza Strip. There is no other alternative."

USA and EU’s reactions

The relationship between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be quite tense, following the Israeli Prime Minister's refusal to heed any advice given by the US administration. According to leaks, President Joe Biden may have made several harsh calls to the Israeli Prime Minister in an attempt, so far unsuccessfully, to persuade him to support a humanitarian truce that could reduce the casualties in this war, which has turned into a real massacre, with almost 30,000 Palestinian victims, including a high number of children.

President Biden has emphasized that Israel should not commence a military operation in Rafah without a plausible plan that guarantees the security of the more than one million people who have sought refuge there. He continued by criticizing Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip as 'excessive' and expressed concern regarding the increase in the mortality rate in the Palestinian enclave. While reaffirming their support for Israel's long-term security, Biden has called for urgent and specific measures to implement humanitarian aid in Gaza. This includes sending American flour sufficient to feed 1.4 million residents in Gaza for six months.

The High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, expressed deep concern regarding the escalating situation at the frontier with Egypt, where there have been signs of a military operation by the Israeli defense forces. This declaration was made during a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday. The prospect of war in Rafah has raised concerns about the population's ability to find shelter. Borrell has emphasized the ripple effect of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has led to the escalation of other conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and the Red Sea region. He highlighted the negative prospects for regional stabilization if the Israeli army continues to strike Gaza.

Finally, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Abu Mazen, urged the intervention of the international community, stating: 'We will not allow the Israeli army and the Hebrew colonists to carry out ethnic cleansing again.'

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