Israeli Forces Enter Rafah's Shakoush Neighborhood

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Facts

  • Israeli forces reportedly pushed deeper into Rafah on Friday, entering the city's Shakoush neighborhood, with displaced Palestinians fleeing the area. Residents and Hamas-affiliated media said people were seeking refuge in Khan Younis, with health officials saying at least 11 people were killed.1
  • Meanwhile, according to the UN's primary agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), garbage and sewage across Gaza, in addition to a lack of clean drinking water and the summer heat, could accelerate the spread of disease.2
  • COGAT, the Israeli body responsible for coordinating aid, said it’s attempting to address the “hygiene situation” and is working with the UN to fix Gaza’s largely destroyed water system and sewage facilities. Over 1M displaced Palestinians are living in crowded tent camps.3
  • A UN assessment reviewing the conditions in two Deir al-Balah tent camps found that, on average, people use less than two liters of water per day, short of the recommended 15 liters. Israel has reportedly opened three water lines into Gaza, but scarcity remains.3
  • Meanwhile, tensions on the Lebanese border continued to rise as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the US to discuss a potential Israeli operation to dislodge Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.4
  • The Financial Times — citing satellite imagery — released a report alleging that Israel is attempting to create a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) 'dead zone' on the Lebanese border. Israel denied the allegations, saying it was only pushing back Hezbollah. Civilians have been displaced on both sides of the border.5

Sources: 1Reuters, 2Guardian, 3Associated Press, 4Al-Monitor and 5Jerusalem Post.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks from Gaza or elsewhere, and the US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns. However, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has gotten out of hand, and Washington's red lines are clear. Netanyahu must be willing to work with the US and its allies to find a resolution to this conflict.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. The only reason there is a difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza is because of Hamas. Though Israel probably should have made a stronger effort to get aid into the strip at the beginning of the war, in recent months, it has gone out of its way to try to improve the humanitarian situation. However, Hamas keeps intercepting aid convoys and purposefully worsening the situation.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. It should be clear after almost nine months of grinding brutality that Israel's true goal is to destroy Gaza. Israel has systematically destroyed all of Gaza's critical infrastructure, creating a wasteland of disease, thirst, and starvation. Though food and water are entering the strip, it is nearly impossible to distribute because Israel has systematically targeted aid workers and created a state of utter insecurity. Israel must end its genocidal campaign.
  • Narrative D, as provided by Al Mayadeen English. Hezbollah and the regional resistance continue to demonstrate their military capabilities. Ultimately, the resistance's primary goal is to end the war in Gaza, not start a far larger regional conflict. However, Israel's genocidal actions and constant threats may indicate that a larger war is coming. Indeed, Hezbollah is ready to defend Lebanon.