Dozens of wounded people flocked to the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah, the crossing point from Gaza to Egypt, in the early hours of Monday, February 12. Most of them were unconscious, bloodied and in shock after some of the heaviest bombings to hit this area since the war began on October 7, 2023.
Israeli security services announced having freed two hostages kidnapped by Hamas fighters during an operation on Sunday night. "Two Israeli hostages rescued during an overnight mission in Rafah. During a joint operation between [the army, Israel's internal security agency], and Israel Police, two Israeli hostages from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak were rescued: Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Louis Har (70)," said a statement from the Israeli military authorities. This was the second time that Israel had succeeded in freeing hostages through an assault, without negotiations.
Earlier, a series of air strikes on the Palestinian city had left at least 63 people dead, according to local health authorities, in bombings that hit fourteen houses and three mosques across different areas of Rafah. The Israeli army said in a statement that it had "conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of [Rafah] in the southern Gaza Strip," while Palestinians in the area live in fear of a ground offensive.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his determination to launch a military offensive against the city. Rafah, which has become a gigantic refugee camp, is the last urban center that the Israeli army has not yet penetrated. "Victory is within reach. We're going to do it," said Netanyahu in an interview with the American channel ABC News broadcast on Sunday, describing the Palestinian city as Hamas's "last bastion." Israel will provide "safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave" the city, he added, without specifying where these civilians could go to take refuge in the event of an attack. Over 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced, and most are crowded along the Egyptian border near Rafah.
These threats have caused concern among the international community, including in the US, Israel's main ally. In a telephone conversation on Sunday, US President Joe Biden urged Netanyahu to make "a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety" of the Palestinian population there, while several countries warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe" to come in the event of an assault on this overpopulated city.
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