what to remember from Thursday, May 9

American President Joe Biden notably threatened to suspend certain arms deliveries to Israel if Benjamin Netanyahu did not give up his offensive in Rafah.

The Gaza Strip is still under attack on Thursday, May 9, at a time when the United States is threatening to stop arms deliveries to Israel in the event of a major offensive in the overpopulated town of Rafah, on the Egyptian border. This is the most severe warning from the United States, a close ally of Israel and its main arms supplier, since the start of the war against Hamas in the Palestinian territory, triggered on October 7 by a bloody attack by the Islamist movement on Israeli soil.

Still heavy fire from the Israeli army in Rafah

The Israeli army continues to bomb the Gaza Strip. Strikes and artillery fire resounded in particular in Rafah, a town located in the very south of the Palestinian enclave. “Tanks and planes shoot”testified Tarek Bahloul, a resident of Rafah in a deserted street: “Every minute we hear a rocket and we don’t know where it will land.” Defying international warnings, the Israeli army has carried out incursions since Tuesday described as “targeted” in eastern Rafah and took control of the border crossing with Egypt, blocking a key gateway for humanitarian aid convoys to the besieged territory.

The Israeli army announced that three of its soldiers were lightly injured in a “trapped tunnel” in Rafah. “The soldiers were evacuated to the hospital for treatment”she added in a press release.

Joe Biden threatens Israel to suspend arms deliveries

It’s a warning, or rather a threat addressed by Joe Biden to Benjamin Netanyahu. On CNN, the American president drew a red line regarding the delivery of weapons from the United States: “If they go to Rafah, (…) then I will not deliver to them the weapons that we have always provided them”. This is the first time that the American president has publicly set conditions for American aid to the Jewish state, its historic ally. Asked if Israel had already crossed a red line in Rafah, he replied: “Not yet.” “We are not distancing ourselves from Israel’s security, we are distancing ourselves from Israel’s ability to wage war in these areas.”did he declare. Joe Biden recognizes that 200 and 900 kg bombs have already killed civilians in Gaza. Last week, the White House suspended one of its deliveries until further notice.

If necessary, Israel “will stand alone”, replies Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to these statements in a statement sent by his office. “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have already said it, if necessary, we will fight with our nails”did he declare. The leader has been insisting for months that he is determined to launch a large-scale ground offensive against the town of Rafah where, he claims, the last battalions of Hamas are hiding, but where, according to the UN, there are also 1 .4 million Palestinians. The Israeli army “has sufficient weapons to accomplish its mission in Rafah”assured for his part Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the army.

Unrwa closes its premises in East Jerusalem for security reasons

UNRWA says it closed its East Jerusalem offices after “Israeli extremists” have “set fire” to open-air areas of the compound, announced the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini. “Israelis set fire to the perimeter of the headquarters twice,” while “personnel from UNRWA and other UN agencies were present” inside, he specifies on the social network X. “I have made the decision to close the enclosure until adequate security is re-established”he adds, denouncing a “second heinous incident in less than a week” committed by “Israeli extremists” and in which “the lives of UN employees were put in serious danger”.

Humanitarian aid paralyzed in Gaza

Israel’s closure of key crossing points into the Gaza Strip has cut off the main valves for the delivery of aid, fuel in particular, and made humanitarian operations virtually impossible, warned Andrea De Domenico, head of the office of the United Nations humanitarian agency (Ocha) in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Rafah crossing, through which all fuel destined for Gaza passes, remains closed. Gold, “in Gaza, there are no fuel stocks”. This means that“there are no movements” And “this completely paralyzes humanitarian operations”according to Mr. De Domenico.

“We have lost the main entry point for humanitarian aid.”, Kerem Shalom, he also noted in an interview with AFP. On Sunday, Israel closed this key crossing point to the south of the small Palestinian coastal territory, after rocket fire claimed by the armed wing of Hamas killed four Israeli soldiers there. Although Israel says it reopened Kerem Shalom on Wednesday, Andrea De Domenico says aid delivery remains “extremely difficult”.