(9 Apr 2024)
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jerusalem - 9 April 2024
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Federman, Associated Press:
"After withdrawing from Gaza's second largest city, Israel says it's now preparing to invade the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza. Israel long ago identified Rafah as a key target. This town, located on Egypt's southern border, is known as the last place where Hamas has significant fighting forces. But Israel faces strong international opposition. That's because an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians are now huddled in Rafah. Most of these people have fled fighting elsewhere in Gaza, and they say they have nowhere else to go. But Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu says he remains committed to carrying out this operation. In fact, he says he's already set a date. Israel also says it has ordered 40,000 tents to be distributed to people who are evacuated from Rafah ahead of the operation. Despite these threats, the invasion does not appear to be imminent. In fact, Netanyahu did not provide a firm date for when he plans on doing this. Much of this talk appears to be connected to cease-fire talks. Those talks have been going on for weeks, and a new round of talks is going on in Cairo. At the same time, senior Israeli officials are also meeting to discuss the latest offers. The threat to move into Rafah could be seen as a way to put pressure, by Israel, to put pressure on Hamas to make concessions. Now these developments are happening as Palestinians in Gaza, like Muslims around the world, are celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr. That's the end of the Ramadan holy month. The mood in Gaza is very subdued. Most of the people, most of the population, are displaced. They're dealing with a wartime situation. There are shortages of all sorts of key items, and whatever is available is only available at highly inflated prices. So the mood right now: sad and sombre."
STORYLINE:
Israel has said that it was preparing to invade the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip - Rafah - after withdrawing from Gaza's second largest city, Khan Younis on Sunday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said Israel has not apprised the U.S. of any specific date for the start of a major offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, but added that American and Israeli officials remained in contact to try to ensure that “any kind of major military operation doesn’t do real harm to civilians.”

More than 1 million Palestinians, over half of Gaza’s population, have fled to Rafah after being displaced by fighting elsewhere in the territory.

Israel’s war against the militant group Hamas has pushed Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, leaving more than 1 million people on the brink of starvation.

An Israeli official confirms that Israel is purchasing 40,000 tents to prepare for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Rafah.

"The mood in Gaza is very subdued...There are shortages of all sorts of key items, and whatever is available is only available at highly inflated prices. So the mood right now sad and sombre," said Joe Federman, AP's Middle East correspondent.

International efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas are taking place in Cairo this week.


The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.

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