Gazans wait in fear as Netanyahu plans Rafah invasion
- 1.4 million Palestinians are jammed into the town and its surroundings
- The UN warns an invasion would have dire humanitarian consequences
- The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people
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(NewsNation) — Gazans in Rafah, a border city that functions as an entry point for humanitarian aid and is filled with displaced Palestinians, fear they won’t survive an anticipated Israeli assault.
“(Gazans) don’t care about the details (of a possible cease-fire) at this stage; they just want it over,” veteran war correspondent Arwa Damon told “NewsNation Now.”
“They want the drones to stop buzzing, they want the bombings to stop, they want to stop losing people who they love. They want to be able to at least start to visualize what’s going to happen next.”
The Biden administration, which provides Israel crucial military and diplomatic support, says it opposes a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a “credible” plan for protecting civilians there.
For Damon, it’s hard to imagine what that opposition would look like given the steadfast U.S. support of Israel’s campaign up until now.
“What does that mean? Does that mean that the U.S. will threaten to or actually cut off the weapons supply and decrease funding? I mean, at this stage, that’s the big concern,” said Damon. “No matter what we’ve been hearing from the U.S. side, it has just been rhetoric.”
The Israel-Hamas war has driven around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes, caused vast destruction in several towns and cities, and pushed northern Gaza to the brink of famine. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials, and the territory’s entire population has been driven into a humanitarian catastrophe.
International mediators are trying to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, and a leaked truce proposal hints at compromises by both sides after months of stalemated negotiations.
“Even if there is a temporary cease-fire, this continuous threat that’s coming from the Israeli government still exists no matter what. This Rafah invasion is still going to happen,” said Damon. “And so it’s just this crazy roller coaster of emotions for them right now.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
