Watan-The Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” revealed the objectives of the Israeli occupation army in the operation to storm the Rafah crossing located on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
The newspaper said, “The military operation carried out by the Israeli occupation army in Rafah will mainly focus on ending Hamas’ control of the crossing.”
It added that the occupation intends to transfer the responsibility for managing the Rafah crossing to a “neutral party,” explaining that the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to transfer the responsibility for managing the Rafah crossing to an American company after the military operation ends.
The newspaper claimed that Tel Aviv pledged that the operation would be limited to expelling “Hamas” from the crossing and not targeting the infrastructure at the Rafah crossing in order to continue its operation.
It clarified that the personnel of the American security company consist of former soldiers from special units in the US army. It pointed out that the American company that will manage the Rafah crossing specializes in guarding strategic sites in conflict areas in Africa.
Regarding the specific tasks of this “company,” the newspaper explained that it will be tasked with managing the movement at the Rafah crossing, as well as inspecting trucks and preventing Hamas from returning to the location.
Kirby speaks about the Rafah operation
On the other hand, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Israel has informed the United States that its operation in Rafah will be limited.
He added: “Israel has informed us of its determination to reduce Hamas’ ability to smuggle weapons and money into Gaza.”
Hamas responds to the Rafah incursion
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan stated at a press conference that the Israeli occupation army’s incursion into the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is a crime and a dangerous escalation against a civilian facility protected by international law, in flagrant violation of all norms and international treaties.
He added that the occupation army’s incursion and occupation of the Rafah crossing aims to worsen the humanitarian situation in the sector by closing it and preventing the flow of emergency relief aid to the besieged Palestinian people who are subjected to a systematic war of extermination and starvation by the occupation.
He continued: “The occupation army’s incursion into the Rafah crossing, and its brutal and criminal bombing, with determination from Netanyahu and his extremist warlords, is a blatant attempt to sabotage all efforts of the mediators to achieve an agreement to stop the aggression against our people, and at the same time, it is a desperate attempt to create an illusory victorious image to save face, and he will only achieve more defeats and disgrace if his aggression continues.”
Hamdan called on the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold an urgent meeting at the level of foreign ministers and take a prompt and effective stance to stop this violation and force the occupation to stop its aggression.
The Hamas leader said: “We highly appreciate the stance of our brothers in the Arab Republic of Egypt in condemning the occupation’s bombing and occupation of the Rafah crossing, and we commend their rejection of the occupation’s request to open the crossing in the midst of this bombing and occupation, except according to the previous mechanism, and we affirm that the Rafah crossing was and will remain a purely Egyptian-Palestinian crossing, with no presence of any occupying force.”