Why Rafah Is a Turning Point in the Gaza War

For months, Israel’s staunchest allies in the U.S. and Europe had largely avoided using the C-word. To call for a ceasefire, they argued, would be to deny Israel its right to root out Hamas from Gaza in retaliation for its Oct. 7 massacre. But as the humanitarian situation in the Strip has deteriorated and as calls for an end to the hostilities have grown, pressure has mounted on Israel and its backers to change tack. Now, as the Palestinian death toll nears 30,000 and as Israel prepares its ground invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah, where more than half of the Strip’s 2.3 million people are sheltering, many Western capitals are doing just that.


Back to Top

People

Amany Qaddour

Dr. Qaddour is the director of the 501(c)(3) humanitarian NGO Syria Relief &...

Read More

Frances Stead Sellers

Frances Stead Sellers is an associate editor of The Washington Post. She has...

Read More

Takeru (Tak) Igusa

Takeru (Tak) Igusa is a professor of civil and systems engineering and a leading...

Read More

Meighan Mary

Ms. Mary is an Assistant Scientist in the International Health Department of the...

Read More

Natalya Kostandova

Dr. Natalya Kostandova is an epidemiologist, with training focused on infectious...

Read More

Events

S
M
T
W
T
F
S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
·
·
·
·