Battles rage in Rafah as Biden called Hamas the 'biggest hang-up' to Gaza truce

NEWS WIRES

13 June 2024 at 5:34 pm·1-min read

Israeli helicopters struck Gaza's Rafah Thursday, residents said, with militants reporting street battles in the southern city as US President Joe Biden called Hamas the "biggest hang-up" to another truce.

Tensions also soared on Israel's northern border with more attacks by Lebanese Hamas ally Hezbollah targeting military positions.

Israeli ground forces have operated in Rafah since early May, despite widespread alarm over the fate of Palestinian civilians there and an International Court of Justice ruling later that month.

Western areas of Rafah came under heavy fire on Thursday, residents said.

"There was very intense fire from warplanes, Apaches (helicopters) and quadcopters, in addition to Israeli artillery and military battle ships, all of which were striking the area west of Rafah," one told AFP.

Hamas said its fighters were battling Israeli troops on the streets of the city near the besieged Gaza Strip's border with Egypt.

In Italy at a G7 summit, Biden called Hamas "the biggest hang-up so far" to a deal on a Gaza truce and hostage release.

"I've laid out an approach that has been endorsed by the UN Security Council, by the G7, by the Israelis, and the biggest hang-up so far is Hamas refusing to sign on even though they have submitted something similar," he told reporters.

"Whether or not that comes to fruition remains to be seen," he said.

(AFP)

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