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Israeli tanks have advanced into the center of Rafah, and air attacks continue to strike the city despite global calls for an end to the violence.
Israel has continued its assault on Rafah, disregarding a draft resolution from the UN Security Council urging an end to the violence in the southern Gaza city.
Fresh air attacks were reported across Rafah on Wednesday morning, following reports from witnesses and a Palestinian security source that Israeli tanks had advanced into the city center hours earlier.
"People are currently inside their homes because anyone who moves is being shot at by Israeli drones," said resident Abdel Khatib.
Israeli air strikes targeted various parts of the city, including areas near the Badr camp and the Zourob roundabout in the west, according to the Palestinian news agency Shehab.
A complete shutdown of telecommunications and internet services throughout Rafah has been reported.
"The military now controls the Philadelphi Corridor and is advancing further into the remaining section, reaching the western part of Rafah city."
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah, stated that Israel "continues to herd people from one place to another" amid the ongoing attacks.
Previously, while targeting northern and central Gaza, Israel’s military had designated Rafah as a safe zone, prompting more than half of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents to seek refuge in the city.
Now, nearly one million people are reported to have fled Rafah amid the ongoing Israeli assault. Israel’s allies have cautioned against attacking the city, highlighting the risks of civilian casualties and an escalating humanitarian crisis.
“Those who were told to stay in the al-Mawasi evacuation zone to avoid being bombed are on the move again, seeking shelter elsewhere. But there is no safe place in a war zone. Bombing is occurring everywhere, not only in Rafah but also in Khan Younis and throughout the Strip,” reported Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud.
“The shelling has extended to the vicinity of the Kuwaiti Hospital, which is now completely out of service. All of Rafah’s field hospitals, except one, are also non-operational,” he added.
US President Joe Biden has urged Israel to refrain from launching a major military operation in Rafah. However, his administration maintained on Tuesday that Israel has not yet crossed its red lines.
“We have not seen them smash into Rafah,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
A civil defense official in Gaza reported that an Israeli strike on a displacement camp west of Rafah on Tuesday killed at least 21 people.
Israel’s army denied allegations of carrying out Tuesday’s strike in a designated humanitarian area.
“The [Israeli army] did not strike in the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi,” the army said in a statement, referring to the area designated for displaced people of Rafah to shelter.
### 'Stop the Killing'
A similar strike over the weekend that killed 45 people triggered global outrage and prompted Algeria to call for an emergency UN Security Council session on Tuesday evening.
At the meeting, Algeria presented a draft resolution demanding an end to Israel’s offensive in Rafah and an "immediate ceasefire."
The draft referenced last week’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Israel to halt its military assault on the city immediately.
Following the meeting, Algeria’s UN ambassador, Amar Bendjama, stated that the goal was to "stop the killing in Rafah." Algeria is serving as a council member for the 2024-25 term.
The Security Council was set to discuss the issue again on Wednesday, with diplomats suggesting that a vote could take place within days. However, the United States has vetoed three previous attempts to secure a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
**SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES**
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