 "'Enormous tent city' comes up near Khan Younis as Israel prepares to evacuate million Palestinians ahead of Rafah op")
New satellite images appear to show an enormous tent city being built near Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military continues to signal plans for an offensive targeting the city of Rafah.
According to Daily Mail report, images captured by Planet Labs show a marked build up of tents in a uniform pattern near Khan Younis, an area which has largely been levelled by Israel’s recent military incursion into Gaza.
These images, captured just three days apart on 18 April and 21 April, show a rapid expansion of white structures within a short timeframe.
While the Israeli Defence Forces told Associated Press that they were not behind the construction of the tents, a Times of Israel report, citing Haaretz newspaper, reported that Egypt was constructing the tent compound ahead of a possible Rafah offensive by Israel.
Before the commencement of a six-week military operation expected to start in May, Israel has said it plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah during an anticipated offensive on the southern city, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge during the war, now in its seventh month.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, citing Egyptian officials, the first few weeks will be dedicated to evacuating refugees to Khan Younis and other areas equipped with shelters and medical facilities.
Hamas preparing for ‘full-scale regional war’
Preparations are underway as the US warns of Hamas preparing for a ‘full-scale regional war.’
According to State Department spokesperson Matt Miller, Hamas was ‘moving the goalposts’ in hostage and ceasefire negotiations, adding that the terrorist group rejected a ‘very significant proposal,’ though the specifics of this proposal were not disclosed.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“It certainly does seem like Hamas is more interested in a full-scale regional war,” Daily Mail quoted Miller as saying.
“It takes two to make an agreement, and right now Hamas has signalled that they don’t want an agreement,” he added.
Miller urged Hamas to stay at the table, telling the group the ball was ‘in their court.’
Wider conflict
The ongoing conflict has sparked regional unrest pitting Israel and the US against Iran and allied militant factions throughout the Middle East. Direct exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran this month have escalated concerns of a full-scale war.
The conflict has drawn in various other groups, with the recent killing of a prominent Hezbollah commander in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.
Mohammad Khalil Atiyeh was a member of the terror group’s elite Radwan force.
Hezbollah and its allies have been engaging Israeli forces along the border for over six months, amid Israel’s broader confrontation with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The conflict was triggered by a significant raid into southern Israel on October 7, during which Hamas and other militants killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostages.
Israel believes that militants still hold about 100 hostages and the remains of over 30 others.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has claimed over 34,000 Palestinian lives, with local health officials claiming that about two-thirds of them were children and women. The destruction has been profound, particularly in Gaza’s major cities.
On Tuesday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that local hospitals received the bodies of 32 individuals killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours, along with 59 wounded.
This brings the total Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas conflict to at least 34,183, with 77,143 injured, according to the ministry.
The ministry’s tally does not differentiate between combatants and civilians but notes that women and children constitute the majority of casualties.
Approximately 80% of Gaza’s population have fled to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave.
In response to the crisis, the US House of Representatives passed a $26 billion aid package on Saturday, including about $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza, which faces imminent famine, as well as substantial assistance for Israel.
The US Senate is expected to approve the package soon, with President Joe Biden committed to signing it promptly.
With inputs from agencies
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