Israel lied over what happened at Rafah so it can resume genocide

On Sunday 19 October Israel claimed that Hamas had ‘fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward IDF troops’ after emerging from a tunnel near Rafah, in the South of the Strip.

In a statement, Al-Qassam Brigades – the armed wing of Hamas – said they knew nothing about the incident, reaffirmed its ‘full commitment to implementing all agreed upon terms’, and said the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) were fabricating pretexts to justify continued attacks:

We have no knowledge of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the [Israeli] occupation’s control.

But war criminal far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are both keen to resume the genocide, as their posts on X show:

So, the Israeli occupation seized the opportunity to launch a wave of strikes in several areas of Gaza, including Khan Younis in the South. It also announced the Rafah border would remain closed and no aid trucks would be allowed to enter through the crossing.

But it seems as though the Israeli occupation has stepped up its bombing campaign yet again under false pretences.

Israel has lied over what happened at Rafah

Israeli media reported that a gag order had been imposed on the incident in Rafah, and according to Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi this is because the occupation forces were lying.

The incident in Rafah had nothing to do with Hamas, but instead involved illegal colonial settlers who are employed in Gaza by the military to use their private bulldozers to flatten the homes of displaced Palestinians. The noise heard was not caused by a supposed ‘anti-tank missile’ being fired, or any ‘gunfire’, but by a settlers bulldozer running over an unexploded ordinance when it was destroying homes:

Drop Site News reporter Ryan Grim says the US knew the truth about the incident, and when they told this to Netanyahu he announced he would reopen the crossings shortly:

45 martyrs were recorded at Gaza’s hospitals on 19 October, from a day of heavy and intense carpet bombing that targeted residential areas of the Strip. According to its posts on X, the IOF dropped at least 120 bombs from its warplanes.

In Khan Younis, more than 20 consecutive strikes were carried out by the Israeli occupation on crowded residential areas.

Also, at least five people were killed and several injured when a cafe that was close to tents sheltering displaced people was struck by Israel in central Gaza, West of Deir Al Balah. The headquarters of the Palestine Media Production Company (PMP) in the town of Al-Zawayda central Gaza was also targeted. The airstrike killed broadcast engineer Ahmed Matar and the son of journalist Mohammed Al-Za’anin, while journalist Ismail Jaber was injured from the attack.

The home of the Abdul Hadi family in Al- Burej refugee camp, central Gaza, was bombed. Four people were killed and eight injured.

Several tents sheltering displaced families were also targeted and get alight, including in Nuseirat refugee camp where four were killed and 13 injured.

Clear violations

Although the mediators have not presented any evidence of Hamas violating its implementation, Israel has deliberately violated the agreement from the day the ceasefire came into force – including now in the aftermath of the Rafah incident.

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, as of 19 October the Israeli regime has carried out 80 documented breaches – 21 of these carried out on 19 October – since the ceasefire was declared on 10 October, which has resulted in 97 killed and 230 wounded.

Under Phase One of the ceasefire agreement the Israeli occupation retains control of 58% of the Gaza Strip, including nearly all of Rafah.

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