Why Rafah Surrounded by Israel Is Called the Last Stronghold [News in War History]

Unprecedented US Warning on Suspension of Arms Support
Border Wars Since Ancient Egypt Era
Concerns Over 5th Middle East War if Civilians Massacred

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

As Israel's armored forces encircle Rafah, the border city with Egypt at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, the U.S. government issued an unprecedented warning to the Israeli government that it would halt weapons support if Israel attacks Rafah, drawing global attention. Rafah, known as the last stronghold left in the Gaza Strip, currently shelters over one million displaced people.

Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Israel are escalating as the Israeli government refuses to back down from its call for a full-scale attack. There are concerns that if civilian casualties increase due to Israel's major offensive on Rafah, even the U.S.'s Middle Eastern allies?who have so far been reluctant to intervene in the war?may turn against Israel, potentially escalating into a Fifth Middle East War. In this segment, we will explore the history of Rafah, a gateway city from Palestine to Egypt that has been repeatedly caught in wars throughout history, along with the current complex issues surrounding it.

Netanyahu: "Hamas Must Be Defeated in Rafah"... Clash of Opinions with the U.S.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

First, let's look at the news. According to the Times of Israel on the 10th (local time), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview on the U.S. TV program 'Dr. Phil Prime Time' that "We often agree (with the U.S.), but there are differences of opinion," adding, "We hope to overcome these differences, but on the other hand, we must do what is necessary to protect our country."

This statement was related to the U.S. government's warning to cut off weapons support if a full-scale war begins with the Israeli military's offensive on Rafah. While emphasizing dialogue to overcome differences with the U.S., Netanyahu's position that Rafah must be attacked remains unwavering.

Israel argues that unless the Hamas forces stationed in Rafah are eliminated, the tragedy of Hamas's invasion of Israel last October will be repeated. Netanyahu also stressed, "If we do not destroy them (Hamas) and leave them alone, they will return. They will emerge from the tunnels, retake Gaza, and repeat the horrific massacre of October 7th."

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed a large armored force to seize the border area connecting Rafah and Egypt, surrounding the entire city. Since over one million refugees from across the Gaza Strip have gathered here, there are concerns that a large-scale Israeli offensive could result in massive civilian casualties.

The Gateway from the Middle East to Egypt... Repeated Civilian Massacres

An ancient Egyptian Raphia decree stone tablet depicting the Battle of Raphia fought in 217 BC between the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt and the Seleucid Empire of Syria in the area of Rafah in the present-day Gaza Strip. [Image source=Egypt Museum]

Rafah, now the last stronghold in the Gaza Strip, is a city with a very long history. It was called Rafah or Raphia since ancient Egyptian times. As a gateway city from Egypt to Palestine, it has been famous as a battleground for Middle Eastern hegemonic powers since ancient times.

In 720 BCE, Sargon II of the Assyrian Empire defeated the Egyptian army here. The Northern Kingdom of Israel, which appears during the division of the Israelite kingdom in the Old Testament, was caught in the conflict between the two great powers, Assyria and Egypt, and was ultimately destroyed by Assyria at this time. In 217 BCE, the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt and the Seleucid dynasty of Syria, two Hellenistic kingdoms, clashed in Rafah.

After the rise of the Islamic Caliphate in the 7th century, Rafah remained a small city at the southernmost tip of Palestine and fortunately avoided large-scale wars such as the Crusades. However, after World War I, as Middle Eastern conflicts intensified, Rafah found itself in the center of the crossfire. During the 2nd and 3rd Middle East conflicts in the 1950s and 60s, the population swelled from a few hundred to 80,000 due to the influx of Palestinian refugees. Later, Israel and Egypt divided Rafah, establishing a border that split the city into two parts: Rafah in the Gaza Strip and Rafah in Egypt.

Concerns Over Escalation from Local Hamas Conflict to Middle East War

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Due to these geopolitical issues, many civilians have been sacrificed in the Rafah area whenever Middle East wars broke out. This time, Israel's unprecedented deployment of large forces to completely encircle Rafah raises fears of massive civilian casualties.

Moreover, with Israel and Iran recently exchanging airstrike operations on each other's mainland, a large-scale Israeli offensive could cause the war to spiral out of control. If the Palestinian Authority and the U.S.'s Middle Eastern allies, who have so far refrained from intervening, change their stance, a Fifth Middle East War could erupt.

The fortunate aspect amid this misfortune is Israel's heavy dependence on U.S. military weapons. If the U.S. halts weapons support, Israel would be unable to use missiles or bombs for aircraft, and since over 70% of its military supplies depend on the U.S., sustaining the war itself would become difficult. We sincerely hope that no further escalation occurs.