West Jerusalem’s troops have pushed toward the heart of the city of Rafah along Gaza’s border with Egypt. The Israeli Defense Forces are stepping up their incursion into the city despite a global pushback over heavy civilian casualties in the Palestinian enclave.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that troops were operating in the Brazil and Shaboura neighborhoods of Rafah, which are located about halfway between the Israeli border and the Mediterranean coast. Civilians have evacuated the area, according to an IDF statement.

This advance into Rafah came only two after the United States claimed that Israeli leaders had agreed to scale back their Rafah offensive to allay “humanitarian concerns” aligned with Washington’s ruling class.

“It’s fair to say, I think, the Israelis have updated their plans,” a United States official said. “They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed.” He added that Israel’s government agreed to limit the operation to targeted strikes against Hamas fighters, rather than carrying out large-scale attacks that could escalate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes and ground operations killed at least 50 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing local officials and Hamas media. IDF tanks advanced in southeastern Rafah, toward Yibna district, and in three eastern suburbs, residents told the media outlet. -RT

“They are on the edge of Yibna, which is densely populated,” one resident was quoted as saying. “They didn’t invade it yet. We hear explosions and we see black smoke coming up from the areas where the army has invaded. It was another very difficult night.”

Defiant Netanyahu Insists Israel Will Act Alone If U.S. Doesn’t Provide More Weapons for Rafah Offensive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that his military’s goal is the complete elimination of the terrorist organization, Hamas. The militant group attacked Israel on October 7th of last year and war has been raging ever since.

Israel Doubles Down On Its Goal To Eliminate Hamas