Israeli Defense Minister Gallant has indicated that he intends to proceed with ground operations in Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, where more than one million people have evacuated and the population is extremely dense, and there are concerns that the number of casualties will increase further. Under these circumstances, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken will visit Egypt and Qatar, where he is acting as a mediator in negotiations toward a cessation of fighting and the release of hostages, in order to encourage progress in negotiations.
Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said on the 5th, ``We will reach Rafah, the last remaining important Hamas stronghold, and also areas in the center and south where we have not yet operated,'' the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip. Rafah also emphasized the idea of proceeding with ground operations.
As fighting between the Israeli army and the Islamic group Hamas continues, health authorities in the Gaza Strip announced that 27,478 people had died as of the 5th, and more than 1 million people had fled, leaving the area extremely densely populated. There are concerns that if ground operations proceed in Rafah, where there is currently a military base, the number of casualties will increase even further.
In addition, on the 5th, UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) Director General White of the Gaza Office revealed in a post on social media that a truck carrying aid supplies to the northern Gaza Strip had been attacked by the Israeli military, and fierce fighting was occurring. As the situation continues, the situation continues to make it difficult to provide support to residents.
Under these circumstances, on the 6th, US Secretary of State Blinken will visit Egypt, where he is playing the role of mediator between Israel and Hamas in negotiations toward a cessation of fighting and the release of hostages, and is also scheduled to visit Qatar.
While some progress has been reported in the negotiations since the end of last month, there have been reports of difficulties in the past few days, and all eyes are on whether Secretary Blinken, who is also scheduled to visit Israel, will be able to encourage progress in the negotiations. .