Israel’s war cabinet has approved the expansion of its ground invasion of Rafah, a former “safe haven” for Palestinian refugees fleeing the fighting in north Gaza. A “measured expansion” of Israel’s operation in the densely populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Thursday night.

Multiple outlets have reported that this expansion comes even after United States ruler Joe Biden vowed to stop the supply of offensive weapons to Israel if its military goes into the city’s population centers.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tanks and troops entered the eastern part of Rafah in the early hours of Tuesday morning, seizing the border crossing that links Gaza and Egypt, as well as launching airstrikes.

Axios reported on Friday that an “expansion of the area of ​​operation” had been approved, citing three sources with knowledge of the decision. Hebrew media also reported that the IDF was widening its area of operation.

Two of Axios’s sources said the operation does not cross Biden’s stated red line, while a third believed it “could be interpreted by the US” as going too far. –RT

According to a report by Reuters, on Friday Israeli tanks had captured the main road between the eastern and western parts of the city, while Hamas said it had attacked Israeli tanks near a mosque in the east.

This offensive has also completely halted any ceasefire and hostage agreement talks between the rulers of Israel and those of Hamas. But Israel had warned that even an agreement would not stop its invasion of Rafah.

Netanyahu: Rafah Invasion Will Happen Regardless Of Hostage Deal

So far, around 110,000 people have fled Rafah seeking safety amid increasing attacks by the IDF.  The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip and living conditions are atrocious.”