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The Israeli strikes on Rafah, the southern Gaza city overnight killed 18 people, including 14 children, as the United States has approved billions of dollars of additional military aid to its close ally, Health officials announced on Sunday.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, had previously declared that Rafah is necessary for Israel to achieve "total victory" over Hamas.
It is believed that 1.4 million Palestinians live in the highly populated city of Rafah.
Many of these people are refugees from past battles in Gaza, having been forced to take sanctuary in crammed tent camps, overflowing U.N.-run shelters, or small flats.
Ever since Israel declared war on Hamas on October 7, in response to the terrorist organization's deadly cross-border strike, Netanyahu has emphasized that the primary aim of the fight is to destroy Hamas' military capabilities.
Israeli military sources claim that Rafah is the final major bastion of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as the militant organization's infrastructure has been extensively targeted and damaged in earlier operations.
Despite these efforts, Hamas has managed to regroup in certain areas, maintaining its ability to launch attacks, even in northern Gaza, which was the initial focus of the offensive.
