what to remember from Wednesday, May 8

Israeli Civil Defense and an AFP correspondent reported that heavy airstrikes and artillery fire continued to target the eastern town of Rafah.

The Israeli army carried out deadly airstrikes and said it was continuing its ground operations “targeted” in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, at a time when delicate negotiations are being held in Cairo with a view to a truce between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli fire in eastern Rafah

According to the army, Israeli soldiers continued their “targeted operations on the Gaza side of the crossing point, in eastern Rafah, based on reports of terrorists operating in the area”. Aviation, according to the army, struck “more than 100 targets” of armed groups across the territory. “We are very afraid. The occupying army continues to indiscriminately fire shells on neighborhoods in eastern Rafah, in addition to intensifying airstrikes”a 29-year-old resident of Rafah, Mouhanad Ahmad Qishta, told AFP.

A major offensive still mentioned

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to launch a major ground offensive against the city of Rafah, which according to the UN shelters 1.4 million Palestinians, the majority displaced by the war, to eliminate the last battalions of the movement Islamist. On Tuesday, after calling the day before for residents of several neighborhoods in the east of the city to evacuate, the army deployed tanks in Rafah and took control of the border crossing with Egypt, cutting off the main entry gate. for humanitarian aid convoys to the besieged Palestinian territory.

Another crossing point near Rafah, Kerem Shalom, between Israel and the Gaza Strip, was targeted by rocket fire on Wednesday shortly after its reopening, which lightly injured a soldier, the army announced. This crossing was closed on Sunday after previous shootings claimed by Hamas, which killed four soldiers.

Fuel shortage threatens hospitals

Hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip have only three days of fuel left, the head of the World Health Organization has warned. That “means they might stop working soon”, summarizes Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The latter added, during a WHO press briefing, that “the fuel entry we were hoping to see today was not allowed”. Humanitarian aid flows are controlled by the Israeli authorities. Doctor Rik Peeperkorn, WHO manager for the Palestinian Territories, also insisted on the absolute necessity of letting the fuel in. The fuel problem is particularly sensitive, Israel considering that it is a product for “dual” use (civilian and military), which could therefore also be used by its enemies.

Washington suspends bomb delivery to Israel

Washington continues to harden its position towards its ally. United States have suspended delivery a shipment of bombs to Israel last week, a senior US official said on condition of anonymity. This decision was taken in the face of the lack of response to “concerns” concerning an Israeli offensive announced on Rafah. This delivery “consists of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs [907 kg] and 1,700 500-pound bombs [226 kg]”, declared this senior official. “We have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment.”he added.