Mideast crisis: Israel says it will send more troops to Rafah, defying international pressure

Displaced people in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Monday.Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defense Minister, said Thursday that the Israeli army would send more troops to Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza, which has become the focal point of the war between Israel and Hamas.

The announcement indicated that Israel intended to move deeper into Rafah despite international concerns. of its ground invasion of the city, where more than a million displaced people had taken refuge.

“Hundreds of targets already been attacked," Mr. Gallant said after meeting with commanders in the Rafah region. "This operation will continue."

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled the city in recent days, many of whom have had to move several times. More than seven months of incessant war, UN officials say.

So far, Israeli troops and tanks have made only a limited incursion into eastern Rafah, and on May 7, they. captured the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, a vital entry point for aid. The crossing remains closed, leaving hundreds of injured and sick people in need of treatment abroad. aid trucks piling up in Egypt.

Palestinian diplomats and officials said the army's operations in and around the crossing and nearby clashes between soldiers and Hamas fighters have created a dangerous environment for aid workers.

Smoke rises over eastern Rafah after Monday's strikes.Credit...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Mr. Gallant, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, also said that Israeli troops had destroyed tunnels in Rafah. Two Israeli officials said one of the main goals of the operation was to demolish the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza that have allowed Hamas to replenish its weapons reserves over the years.

Egypt and Israel maintain a decades-old peace treaty and close security cooperation, but Israel's invasion of Rafah has disrupted the test their sensitive relations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly spoken of the need to destroy the Hamas battalions in Rafah. In recent days, some Hamas militants have fled the city, according to four Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence.

The fighters headed north alongside civilians, officials said. Although it is unclear how many militants managed to escape, their flight shows that at least some would be left unscathed by Israel's invasion of the city.

Natan Odenheimer contributed to this report.

Displaced Palestinians collecting water in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Thursday.Credit ...Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Apart from a...