GAZA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army mobilized military reinforcements, including artillery and armored personnel carriers, around Gaza in preparation for a possible ground attack on the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah, local media reported Thursday.
Dotan, commander of Battalion 932 in the Israeli army, told soldiers at the end of the military operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp that they would be advancing towards Rafah, the Hebrew public radio reported.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army withdrew from the Nuseirat camp after conducting a surprise military operation there since April 11, resulting in the death of dozens of people and significant destruction of buildings and infrastructure.
Dotan added that "the people of Israel trust you to do your best, as you did in Nuseirat, Zaytoun, Tuffah, and Shifa, and you'll do it in Rafah as well."
During the past 24 hours, Israeli warplanes targeted homes, mosques, and agricultural lands in Rafah, a city currently providing refuge to over 1.4 million Palestinians. Palestinian security sources reported that these airstrikes killed 20 people and injured several others.
Israel's repeated threats of a military operation in Rafah have faced opposition from its long-time supporters, including the United States.
However, Israel insists on invading the city, considering it as the "last stronghold" of Hamas, which still has four military brigades stationed there that Israel seeks to dismantle.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators, along with the United States, are seeking to reach a hostage-for-prisoner swap deal and achieve a second ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, following the first one that lasted a week until early December last year.
Israel estimated that about 134 Israelis remained hostage in Gaza, whereas Hamas announced that about 70 of them had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.
More than 9,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners are held in Israel, according to HaMoked, an Israeli human rights group. ■
