Conflict in the Gaza Strip: Israel intensifies attacks on Rafah, Egypt, South Africa 'speak up'

THX on May 11 quoted a local source as saying that Israel began heavy bombing of the city of Rafah at the southern tip of Gaza after negotiations on a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas were held in Cairo. of Egypt collapsed.


Israeli armored vehicles move along the Israel-Gaza border after leaving the Palestinian strip of land on April 17. (Source: Getty) There is currently no information on the number of casualties. However, the Kuwait hospital in Rafah has virtually ceased operations.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said about 110,000 people fled Rafah to find safe haven during Israeli bombardment of the city. street increases. Of UNRWA's 34 health sites in Rafah, 10 have been forced to close and three health centers in the area are operating at reduced capacity.

On the same day (May 11), South Africa urgently requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop Israel's military attack on the city of Rafah.
In its request to the court, South Africa asked the ICJ to order Israel to "immediately withdraw and cease its military attack" in Rafah.

South Africa stated that Israel must "immediately take all effective measures to ensure and facilitate unhindered access to Gaza by the United Nations and other officials involved in providing humanitarian aid and support for the people of Gaza". In its request, South Africa said that the interim measures previously indicated by the court were “incapable of fully addressing the changed circumstances and new facts”.

South Africa also asked the court to take further measures to "protect the Palestinian people in Gaza from serious and irreparable violations of their rights". This is the latest in a series of requests submitted by South Africa to the ICJ related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

On December 29, 2023, South Africa applied to the ICJ to initiate proceedings against Israel regarding alleged violations of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention regarding Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. On January 26, the ICJ ordered Israel to take all possible measures to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

On March 6, South Africa asked the ICJ to issue additional emergency orders against Israel to end widespread famine in the Gaza Strip. On March 28, the ICJ ordered Israel to do whatever is necessary to ensure that basic aid reaches the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian media quoted Israeli media on May 10 as saying that Egypt threatened to cancel the peace treaty if Israel did not stop military activities in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on May 10 that Egyptian officials informed Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns, who was visiting Cairo, that the US must put strong pressure on Israel. must end military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah and seriously resume negotiations. Otherwise, Egypt will cancel the Camp David Agreement.

According to Maariv newspaper, following increasing media pressure from Egypt calling for the cancellation of the Camp David Accords, Israeli officials have begun contacting their Egyptian counterparts to determine the nature, extent and importance of these requirements. Egypt, for the first time since the conflict began in October 2023, has instructed truck drivers carrying aid to leave the Egyptian side of the Rafah border gate area, and has increased measures. security measures there due to concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the border area.

The latest round of negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza, which took place in Cairo earlier this week with the participation of mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US, ended without a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. . The contradiction in positions between the Hamas Movement and Israel still exists as Hamas insists on a permanent cessation of hostilities, while Israel rejects this request.

Israel is seeking a ceasefire to release the remaining hostages from Gaza, with no sign of ending the conflict with Hamas forces. The international community, including mediators, opposes Israel's large-scale military operation in the city of Rafah.

On May 6, Hamas accepted the ceasefire proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. However, Israeli tanks entered Rafah soon after and the Israeli government declared the proposal did not meet their conditions. *

Palestinian news agency Wafa said on May 10 that members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) expressed deep concern about the discovery of mass graves in and around the Gaza Strip. Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza, where hundreds of bodies, including women, children and the elderly, were buried.

In a press release, UN Security Council members emphasized the need to prosecute violations of international law and called for investigators to be allowed unhindered access to all UN locations. mass graves in Gaza to conduct independent, thorough, comprehensive, transparent and objective investigations.

Members of the UN Security Council reiterated the need for all warring parties to strictly comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in particular relating to the protection of civilians and civilian objects.