Tel Aviv [Israel], May 31: Israel declared control of the Gaza border with Egypt and denied the possibility of the campaign ending prematurely, amid concerns that the Palestinian strip of land is increasingly chaotic.
Al Jazeera on May 30 quoted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as strongly warning about Israel's lack of a post-war strategy, putting Gaza at risk of falling into lawlessness, chaos and the return of Hamas forces. Speaking to the press while on a trip to Moldova, the US diplomat emphasized that Israel had "really succeeded" in its efforts to destroy Hamas 's military capabilities and was forced to have a plan to restore security and management in the country. Gaza.
"Hamas breathing tube"
Israel did not immediately comment on Mr. Blinken's statement, but has always affirmed its goal of "completely eliminating" Hamas in Gaza and refusing to grant rights to the Palestinian State. Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that it controlled the southern Gaza buffer zone adjacent to the Egyptian border. "The Philadelphi corridor serves as a breathing tube for Hamas, often used to smuggle weapons into Gaza," Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said, referring to the 14 km long corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border. the only land border in Gaza that Israel did not previously control directly.
On May 29, Israel continued to send tanks into Rafah City, despite the ruling of the International Court of Justice. Rafah residents said Israeli tanks entered the Tel Al-Sultan and Yibna areas before retreating to a buffer zone near the Egyptian border , instead of remaining as in other attacks. The New York Times yesterday quoted Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi as predicting that this country's military activities in Gaza would last at least until the end of this year. Mr. Hanegbi appeared to reject the idea that the conflict could end after the operation in Rafah.
Humanitarian disaster
Since Israel launched its ground operation in Rafah, the amount of humanitarian aid in Gaza has decreased by two-thirds, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which has always warned of risk of famine in this region. Since May 7, an average of 58 aid trucks have arrived in Gaza each day, compared to 176 trips/day in the period from April 1 to May 6. The UN says Gaza needs 500 trucks of aid and other goods every day. According to OCHA, aid decreased due to the closure of the Rafah border crossing, the inability to safely and reliably obtain goods from the Kerem Shalom border crossing, and limited supplies at other border crossings.
In related developments, AFP on May 30 quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for a peace conference to resolve the Hamas - Israel conflict . "The Middle East is a land with many development prospects, but war is still raging there. Fighting should not continue indefinitely. Justice should not be absent forever," he said at the Forum meeting. China-Arab Countries Cooperation Forum in Beijing yesterday. Also at the meeting, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called on the international community to ensure that Palestinians in Gaza no longer have to leave their homes, provide long-term humanitarian aid here and end the conflict. suddenly.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
