On events in Rafah

As usual with these posts, this is from the current version of the coming news post on the war in West Asia: 

ON RAFAH: 

From the beginning of the week (labelled as such out of fear an invasion was imminent): 

• “Tragic end to Gaza rescue mission, while Rafah awaits full-blown offensive”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/middle-east-news/2024/02/11/gaza-offensive-confirm   “Israeli air strikes have killed 44 people in Gaza’s Rafah overnight, medics said”   “Fears for more than a million in Rafah as Israel prepares civilian evacuation and military assault | SBS News”   https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/fears-for-more-than-a-million-in-rafah-as-israel-prepares-civilian-evacuation-and-military-assault/hl146hy0r    “Gazans ‘anxious and living in fear’ of Israeli assault on Rafah, warns top UN aid official”   https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146482   “Israel: Rafah Displacement Plans Catastrophic, Unlawful (HRW)”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/displacement-catastrophic-unlawful.html   “Rafah’s 1 million refugees fear Israeli onslaught after night of bombardment”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/12/rafahs-1m-refugees-fear-israeli-onslaught-after-night-of-bombardment   “‘There will be massacres’: Palestinians in Rafah speak of their fears | Israel War on Gaza | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/2/13/there-will-be-massacres-palestinians-in-rafah-speak-of-their-fears   

• “Israel bombards Gaza, with biggest functioning hospital under siege”   https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-bombards-gaza-with-biggest-functioning-hospital-under-siege-2024-02-16/   “At least five patients dead after Israeli army raid on Nasser Hospital”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/16/at-least-five-people-dead-after-israeli-army-raid-on-nasser-hospital  
  

• “Israel kills dozens in Rafah strikes, frees two captives | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/12/israel-strikes-rafah-says-two-captives-freed   “Israeli hostages freed in deadly Rafah raid reunited with loved ones | SBS News”   https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/israeli-hostages-freed-in-deadly-rafah-raid-reunited-with-loved-ones/bxzdll39l  
  

• “Netanyahu uses hostage rescue to justify Rafah strikes as his support dwindles”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/12/netanyahu-uses-hostage-rescue-to-justify-rafah-strikes-as-support-for-israeli-pm-dwindles         “Netanyahu vows to press ahead with Rafah offensive as ceasefire talks continue”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/14/erdogan-egypt-visit-talks-continue-gaza-ceasefire-deal-israel   “Israeli prime minister says civilians will be allowed to leave ‘battle zones’ but does not specify where they could go”   

• “Egypt building walled enclosure in Sinai for Rafah refugees, photos suggest”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/egypt-building-walled-enclosure-in-sinai-for-rafah-refugees-videos-suggest   “Monitoring group releases evidence of work that appears intended to house Palestinians in event of Israeli assault on city”    This is gravely concerning  
  

Consequences so far include:   

• “South Africa lodges Urgent Complaint with Int’l Court of Justice over Israel’s Plan to Assault Rafah”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/complaint-justice-israels.html   
  

• On Israeli plans to invade Rafah   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/netanyahu-refugees-complains.html   I chose not to include the headline as it was inflammatory, and presented a likelihood as if it were fact. Nevertheless, the article covers what is happening between all the players in the region quite well    

• “What’s happening in Gaza’s Rafah as Israel threatens to attack? | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/11/what-is-happening-in-gazas-rafah-as-israel-threatens-to-attack      “Egypt has warned that any Israeli ground assault on Rafah would have “disastrous consequences” and that Israel’s aim to force the Palestinians out of their land would threaten the 40-year-old Camp David peace accord between the two countries.”    See also   “Egypt Threatens Netanyahu with End of Camp David Peace Accords if he Invades Rafah”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/threatens-netanyahu-accords.html          

• “Israel in breach of international law if it denies Gaza food and water, says UK foreign secretary”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/israel-in-breach-of-international-law-if-gaza-denied-food-and-water-says-cameron   “David Cameron issues stark warning and implies UK will not back a Rafah offensive”          

• “EU’s Borrell suggests US stop arming Israel amid fears over Rafah assault | European Union News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/12/eus-borrell-suggests-us-stop-arming-israel-amid-fears-over-rafah-assault      and            “Court orders Netherlands to halt delivery of fighter jet parts to Israel | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/12/court-orders-netherlands-to-halt-delivery-of-fighter-jet-parts-to-israel   &   “When Courts Intervene: Halting the Transfer of F-35 Parts to Israel - The Australian Independent Media Network”   https://theaimn.com/when-courts-intervene-halting-the-transfer-of-f-35-parts-to-israel/   &   “Netherlands Judges Halt Export to Israel of F-35 Parts: “Disproportionate Civilian Casualties including Thousands of Children””   https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/netherlands-disproportionate-casualties.html   &   “Israel’s Gaza war threatens to shut down West’s fifth-gen fighter programme | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/14/gaza-war-threatens-to-shut-down-the-wests-fifth-gen-fighter-programme   This surprised me         “Which countries have stopped supplying arms to Israel? | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/15/which-countries-have-stopped-supplying-arms-to-israel         (I mentioned possible interruptions to munitions/logistics last week)  

• “Biden joins international calls for Israel to halt Rafah offensive”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/12/foreign-secretaries-and-diplomats-try-to-persuade-netanyahu-to-call-off-rafah-offensive    “Biden inches away from Netanyahu as Israeli PM fails to heed US on Gaza”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/14/biden-netanyahu-israel-gaza-advice   “After walking fine line between Israel and US Arab community, experts say Biden has justification to take ‘harder line’ before election”  
  

• “Australia warns Israel’s plans for Rafah ground offensive could have ‘devastating consequences’”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/12/australia-penny-wong-warns-israel-rafah-ground-offensive   “Failure to ensure special care for more than 1 million civilians in the area would ‘cause serious harm to Israel’s own interests’, foreign minister, Penny Wong, says”   “Rarely, if ever, has Australia or the US said no to Israel. Now is the time”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/13/rarely-if-ever-has-australia-or-the-us-said-no-to-israel-now-is-the-time   “Unless a way towards Palestinian independence is opened, the region will remain a cauldron seething with tensions constantly threatening to erupt”   “Ground operation in Rafah: Australia urges Israel to 'listen to friends' | SBS News”   https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australia-urges-israel-to-listen-to-friends-amid-concerns-over-ground-operation-in-rafah/j56cgv39n        
  

 

In addition to the obvious and appalling human rights impacts and risks, and the risk to Israel’s military supplies, the risks to the Camp David peace accord between Israel and Egypt is major - it potentially could set West Asia back to the 1970s.

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

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