Netanyahu calls for strengthening offensive in Rafah; Death toll in Gaza rises to more than 28,000

Bombings and despair. The Israeli attacks on Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, claim the lives of more people in a territory from which they are not allowed to leave.

At least 67 Palestinians died during Israel's attacks in the early hours of this Monday, February 12while The total number of fatalities rose to 28,340, almost all civiliansstressed the local Ministry of Health.

Besieged in the town on the border with Egypt, 1.7 million of the 2.3 million inhabitants survive, a siege that aims to worsen even more. In the last hours, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu noted that his troops must press harder with their offensive in Rafah to, as he assured, free more hostages held by Hamas.

His statements come hours after Israel's special forces indicated that they released two of the more than 100 kidnapped people who remain in the enclave after the bloody assault by the Islamist group on October 7.

The premier stressed that military pressure there must be sustained until a “total victory” is obtained over the movement that controls Gaza.

But the prospect of further attacks in a city packed with internally displaced people raises the concerns of the mediators of the escalation of the ongoing war: Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

In fact, Netanyahu's most recent statements increase uncertainty. Just one day earlier, the premier assured that he would provide “safe passage for the civilian population” in Rafah and refuted fears of a “catastrophe” in a television interview.

However, the Likud leader insisted on ending what he maintains are the “last strongholds of Hamas” in that city on the besieged coastal strip.

His words came after in recent days the US Government qualified its firm support for Israel by warning against a large-scale offensive in Rafah and even indicated that it does not support it due to the magnitude of civilian deaths it would cause.

Warning voices are raised against the Israeli offensive in Rafah

Despite international calls, The Israeli Army prepares for a ground raid in the city, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians have sought refuge. It was the last place of relative protection they had, in the midst of the air and land attacks that began in the north of Gaza and continued into these four months of war.

The high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell said he is “extraordinarily concerned” about Netanyahu's threats to launch more attacks on Rafah. with no evacuation plan and no prospect of refugee camps in Egypt.

From Israel they speak of evacuation calls for the civilian population, but without specifying where the Gazans would be transferred, cornered in the border town without, until now, the possibility of crossing the fence into Egypt.

“Even in the United States, which is the strongest supporter of Israel, President Biden himself considers that this action is disproportionate,” Borrell highlighted.

“If they launch an offensive against a densely populated area with more than 1.7 million people, they will hit a wall and will not be able to escape,” added the senior EU diplomat.

Borrell also noted that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – who last week wrapped up his fifth tour in four months of the Middle East to push for an eventual truce between the two sides in the conflict – had been “begging” Netanyahu “to stop killing people.”

Blinken left the region amid what may be the biggest differences between Washington and Israel due to the divergences regarding the offensive in Rafahespecially after Biden assured that the armed response of the Jewish-majority country to the Hamas attack four months ago has been “exaggerated.”

Meanwhile, King Abdullah II of Jordan continues his diplomatic push on a tour of Western countries to call for an end to Israeli hostilities in the Palestinian enclave.

This Friday, the monarch will be received in Washington by President Joe Biden. The two are expected to discuss ongoing efforts to free hostages held in Gaza and growing concerns about a possible Israeli military operation in Rafah.

Although Israel does not give up on its objectives, the US Government assures that it is mediating to achieve another truce that will allow humanitarian aid to be sent to the Gazans and the release of those kidnapped.

Just in a presidential election year, in which Biden is seeking re-election, the White House faces growing criticism at home and abroad for its continued support for the Government of Israel, despite the magnitude of civilian casualties in Gaza.

Netherlands court orders to stop exports of parts for Israeli fighter planes

Given the magnitude of deaths and the deep devastation, a court in the Netherlands this Monday ordered its Government to stop all exports of F-35 fighter aircraft parts to Israel.

When issuing your decision, The judges cited a clear risk of violations of International Law.

The ruling comes after last December three human rights organizations filed a civil lawsuit against the authorities of that European country, arguing the need to reevaluate the export license in light of the Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

The plaintiffs stated that the delivery of parts for these military aircraft makes the Netherlands a “accomplice in possible war crimes” committed by Israeli troops in their war against Hamas.

With Reuters and AP