Rafah under bombardment after announcement of Israeli ceasefire plan
The Israeli air force and artillery intensely bombarded the city of Rafah on Saturday, hours after US President Joe Biden announced a road map for a ceasefire. fire with Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Operations are particularly concentrated in the west of the city, in the Tal Al-Sultan district, where residents have reported air raids, tank fire and movements of military vehicles.
Since Mr. Biden’s statement on Friday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has twice repeated the ” terms “ of a permanent ceasefire: the ” destruction “ of Hamas, the “release of all hostages” kidnapped during the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and “the assurance that Gaza will no longer be a threat” for the Israeli state.
Even though he said he considered “positively” the road map announced by Mr. Biden, Hamas, in power in Gaza since 2007, continues to demand a permanent ceasefire and a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territory before any agreement.