Israel Pushes Into Heart of Rafah Amid Criticism From Biden Administration
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that their forces have made significant progress in their conflict with Hamas. Reports indicate that the IDF has reached the outskirts of a refugee camp in central Rafah but has yet to enter the city center due to ongoing intense fighting. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration continues to criticize Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
The Wall Street Journal, citing Egyptian sources, reported that the IDF now controls 70% of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt border, effectively securing half of the border area.
The IDF reported destroying rocket launchers aimed at Israel throughout Rafah. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the IDF struck approximately 130 terror targets across the Gaza Strip.
The IDF stated that soldiers from the 7th Brigade engaged Hamas terrorists in the Jabalya refugee camp, where they dismantled terror infrastructure and conducted artillery strikes. During the operation, soldiers discovered and destroyed several ready-to-use launchers and dozens of rockets in Jabalya.
Earlier on Wednesday, the IDF announced the killing of Ahmed Yasser Alkara, a senior Hamas Northern Command operative involved in the October 7 massacre and multiple shooting attempts against IDF troops. As troops prepared to strike Alkara, they identified a child nearby and halted the operation. Once the child left the area, the forces resumed the attack and killed Alkara.
In a Tuesday interview with CNN, Netanyahu stated, “We have to get rid of Hamas. Otherwise, there’s no future for Gaza.”
However, the dismantling of Hamas may be far from complete. U.S. Intelligence revealed to Politico that Israel has only eliminated 30 to 35 percent of the Hamas terrorists who were part of the group before the October 7 attack.
Additionally, Politico reported that Israel has destroyed only 65 percent of Hamas’ vast network of underground tunnels, which the group has used to carry out attacks. U.S. intelligence sources told Politico that Hamas has recruited thousands of new members in recent months.
Biden Administration officials are now publicly criticizing Israel’s strategy in Gaza, calling it self-defeating and likely to facilitate Hamas’ return.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who last week predicted that the eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces could leave “a vacuum that’s likely to be filled by chaos, by anarchy, and ultimately by Hamas again.”
Last week, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated that Israel’s “total victory” against Hamas was unlikely.
On Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. C.Q. Brown, the Joint Chiefs chair, criticized Israel for failing to protect civilians in Gaza and for not preventing Hamas from reclaiming its former strongholds.
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