Israel conducted airstrikes on Gaza and the city of Rafah near the Egyptian border on Friday (9/2), resulting in the deaths of at least 9 people, including children and women. The attack occurred just hours after US President Joe Biden criticized Israel's behavior in Gaza as "excessive," according to reports from the South China Morning Post.
This latest assault by Israel targeted civilians in Rafah, including a children's park used as a shelter. The casualties were taken to the nearest hospitals for treatment.
Israel has been regularly bombing refugee areas in Rafah, claiming that these locations serve as Hamas strongholds. Despite ongoing military operations focusing on Khan Younis, north of Rafah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that Rafah could be the next target, sparking panic among hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Netanyahu's statements have also raised concerns in Egypt, with the country warning that any ground operation in Rafah or mass movements across the border could violate the 40-year-old peace treaty with Israel. Additionally, the largely closed Gaza-Egypt border serves as a primary entry point for humanitarian aid.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the number of Palestinian casualties due to the conflict has surpassed 27,840, with a quarter of Gaza's population suffering from starvation.
President Biden's remarks criticizing Israel's military response in Gaza have garnered attention. He expressed efforts to secure a sustained ceasefire to aid sick Palestinian civilians.
"I believe the response actions in Gaza have been excessive," Biden said, as quoted by Reuters.
Biden also stated his efforts to promote a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, increase humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, and secure a ceasefire to facilitate the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
This represents one of Biden's most pointed public criticisms of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Earlier, Biden faced substantial backlash for referring to the deaths of innocent Palestinians as a "price of war" during the initial stages of Israel's aggression in Palestine.