Hamas Condemns Evacuation Prior to Military Operation in Rafah

In a pointed statement, a leading member of the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas condemned Israel's actions to evacuate the city of Rafah ahead of a military operation. Mahmud Merdawi criticized that this step clearly contravened efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict over the Gaza Strip. The Israeli operation, near the Egyptian border, would significantly burden the indirect negotiations and could have devastating consequences for the local civilian population. Merdawi expressed confidence that the latest Israeli measures could not apply increased pressure on Hamas. He emphasized that it would not be possible for Israel to achieve its war objectives through military interventions in Rafah. The situation escalated when members of the armed brigade of Hamas fired rockets at Kerem Shalom on Sunday, the main border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, causing the death of four Israeli soldiers. This strategically important crossing point, through which aid deliveries are made into the Gaza Strip, had to be temporarily closed as a result. In response, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip that originated from the town near the Rafah border crossing, from where the attack had been launched. Sources from the Hamas-led health authority announced that as a result of the Israeli attacks since Sunday evening, at least 28 Palestinians in Rafah had been killed. Even on Monday, the intense confrontations continued in the east of Rafah, as local reports confirmed.