Israeli commanders have moved dozens of tanks and other armored vehicles to the southern border with the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reported.
An agency official monitored the movement of these vehicles at the Kerem Shalom checkpoint, which is located opposite the town of Rafah in the southern part of the enclave.
Earlier in April in "Maariv" noted that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have deployed additional artillery and armored personnel carriers to the outskirts of the Gaza Strip. According to him, these preparations could mean direct preparation for an IDF ground offensive in Rafah.
Israeli commanders said the IDF had neutralized 20 of the 24 Hamas battalions and should finish off the rest in Rafah.
At the same time, some 1.4 million Palestinians - more than half of the enclave's population - are taking refuge in Rafah after being forced to flee the northern part of the country because of the fighting.
The US urged Israel to limit its actions in Rafah to precision strikes and targeted raids.
On Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke out against a possible operation in Rafah, stressing the unacceptability of the Palestinian exodus from the Gaza Strip to the Sinai Peninsula.
For his part, Jordanian King Abdullah II, in a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasized the danger that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would represent.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel. In response, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.