Israeli forces released footage of a “precise counterterrorism operation” conducted in eastern Rafah on Tuesday as the nation faces criticism from President Biden for moving forward with the attack.
The Israeli infantry could be seen operating with armored vehicles in the footage, even as Israel said it conducted some 100 air strikes across Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says its ground operations eliminated Hamas terrorists and destroyed underground infrastructure.
“During several encounters over the past day, IDF troops eliminated terrorists and uncovered terrorist infrastructure, as well as underground shafts in several locations in the eastern Rafah area. The troops have started the process of dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and underground shafts,” the IDF said in a statement.
“Simultaneously, based on intelligence about terrorists operating in the area, IDF troops are conducting targeted raids on the Gazan side of the Rafah Crossing in the eastern part of Rafah,” the statement continued.
ISRAELI TROOPS GAIN OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF GAZAN SIDE OF RAFAH CROSSING, IDF SAYS
“Throughout the past day, IAF fighter jets and aircraft struck over 100 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including military structures, observation posts, launch posts and additional military infrastructure,” the IDF added.
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The operation comes just one day after Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to move forward with an attack on Rafah.
The two world leaders reportedly spoke for approximately 30 minutes, during which Biden raised the issue of the more than 1.5 million Palestinians currently living in Rafah.
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“The president doesn’t want to see operations in Rafah that put at greater risk the more than a million people that are seeking refuge there,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
Overnight on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that Israel was left with no choice but to act in Rafah after Hamas terrorists carried out a deadly rocket attack from Rafah earlier in the day that left four Israeli soldiers dead.
Biden’s administration confirmed on Tuesday that it had paused a shipment of weapons to Israel due to its opposition to the Rafah campaign.
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