Israeli army continues Rafah operation despite widespread criticism

Israeli military vehicles continue on the border line near the city of Rafah, Gaza. At least 45 people were killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 250 others injured in the Israeli strike on the camp on 26 May. Saeed Qaq/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued their operation in Gaza's Rafah on Saturday despite extensive international criticism.

Soldiers found numerous weapons, tunnels and rockets in the town in the south of the Gaza Strip, the IDF said, adding that the army's operations were precise and based on intelligence findings.

Israel deems Rafah the last stronghold of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which triggered the current conflict in Gaza after killed hundreds of civilians in Israel in the October 7.

The latest attacks come one day after US President Joe Biden unveiled a new proposal from Israel to end the war and secure the release of Israeli hostages.

Fighting also continued in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, where dozens of Palestinians have been killed there over the past two days. The IDF said they were terrorists.

Several key members of Hamas have been killed in Gaza in recent days, including a man who was reportedly involved in planning terrorist attacks in Israel and the West Bank.

None of the information could initially be independently verified.

In view of the high number of civilian victims and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is facing mounting criticism abroad, with many condemning the operation in densely-crowded Rafah in particular.

A week ago, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt the military operation in Rafah immediately.

The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza says 36,379 people have been killed in the territory since the beginning of the current conflict.

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH