The looming battle for Rafah — a city on the southern end of Gaza, farthest from where Israel’s invasion began — embodies the brutal dynamics of the conflict.
During its four-month invasion of Gaza, Israel has killed more than 29,000 people, many of them children.
An assault on Rafah, which has become a refuge for more than half of Gaza’s population, would worsen the misery.
But the military importance of Rafah for Hamas is also real, experts say.
With Israel having taken control of much of northern and central Gaza, at least some Hamas leaders and their weapons seem to be in tunnels under Rafah.
Persons:
Israel
Organizations:
Hamas, Israel
Locations:
Rafah, Gaza, Israel