As tension persists in the Middle East, satellite images of the town of Rafah, located in the Gaza Strip, reveal the extent of Israeli military operations. These images, obtained by the company Planet Labs and relayed by Fatshimetrie, show an intensification of land operations beyond just air strikes.
The photos, dated May 5-7, reveal an active presence of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) outside the immediate border area with Egypt, which the Israeli army controlled as of Monday evening. Buildings appear to have been destroyed and staging areas for IDF vehicles are visible. A number of Israeli forces penetrated more than a mile inside the Palestinian enclave from the Rafah border crossing, images show.
This escalation of operations comes despite intense international pressure on Israel not to enter Rafah. US President Joe Biden has for the first time said he would suspend some US arms deliveries if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launches a major invasion of the city.
The Israeli ground operations follow a series of bombings on Rafah that completely destroyed several buildings over the past 24 hours, causing the deaths of at least four people according to a local hospital. Satellite images suggest these strikes are continuing, with one photo showing smoke still rising from one hit location.
Palestinians rush to Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, Gaza, after Israeli airstrikes on May 8. CNN footage shows scenes of panic in the streets of Rafah after a strike on Wednesday. People were carrying injured and unconscious children to Al Kuwaiti Hospital.
Four people were killed and around 20 others injured by Israeli strikes in the Tal Al Sultan neighborhood west of Rafah on the same day, according to the hospital. CNN has requested comment from the Israeli military on the incident.
Telltale signs of bulldozing destruction can be seen in some areas of Rafah, as evidenced by vehicle tracks and areas of disturbed land. These operations are reminiscent of the early days of the ground invasion of Gaza in October 2023, when the IDF carried out airstrikes before deploying ground forces.
The IDF spokesperson claimed that these operations were carried out as part of a “specific anti-terrorist operation in specific areas of eastern Rafah”, including “targeted raids” which resulted in the elimination of terrorists. and the discovery of terrorist infrastructures. The Israeli army released images showing its operational raids near suspicious buildings from where its soldiers were allegedly targeted by Hamas militants.
The escalation of violence in Rafah underscores the dilemma facing Netanyahu, between pressure for an all-out ground operation and the search for a ceasefire. The massive movements of Palestinians fleeing the city after the call for evacuation launched by the Israeli army are fueling fears of an escalation of the conflict.
While the international community fears the humanitarian consequences of a land invasion, the human toll continues to rise in this region already weakened by months of conflict. The alarming data on the damage caused in Rafah highlights the urgency of a peaceful resolution to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.
The powerful images of the operations in Rafah are a reminder of the need for rapid diplomatic action to end a destructive cycle of violence that is only plunging this region further into suffering and despair.