
Israeli airstrike kills at least 13 in Rafah
An Israeli airstrike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip resulted in at least 13 Palestinian deaths, as reported by medical sources to Reuters, with Hamas media claiming 15 deaths. Palestinians have increasingly moved south to Rafah to escape Israeli strikes, with nearly one million displaced there, making the city a focal point of international concern. U.S. President Joe Biden warned against a ground assault on Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened such an attack but suggests it could be averted if Hamas releases hostages taken on October 7. Since then, Israel has targeted the Gaza Strip to eradicate Hamas, with the Palestinian health authority under Hamas reporting over 34,000 fatalities. Gaza, comparable in size to the Danish island of Mors and with a population of around 2.3 million, is bordered by the Mediterranean, Egypt, and Israel.