Israel plans attack on Rafah
Jerusalem:
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, said Israel would launch a long-threatened offensive against Rafah next month if Hamas failed to free the remaining hostages in Gaza before the start of Ramadan.
Gantz, the retired military chief of staff, told a meeting of American Jewish leaders: “The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know, that if our hostages are not home by Ramadan, the fighting will continue everywhere, including Rafah area.” Sunday in Jerusalem.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin on March 10.
The Israeli government has not previously specified a deadline for the attack on the city, where most of the 1.7 million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.
Foreign governments and aid groups have repeatedly urged Israel to spare Rafah, Gaza’s last major city that has not been invaded by ground forces during the four-month war, amid fears of possible mass casualties.
Despite mounting international pressure, including direct appeals from US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists the war cannot be completed without pressure on Rafah.
At the same Jerusalem conference on Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated his vow to “get the job done and achieve total victory over Hamas” with or without a hostage deal.
Gantz added that the offensive would be conducted in a coordinated manner and in dialogue with the Americans and Egyptians to facilitate evacuations and “minimize civilian casualties.”
But it remains unclear where civilians can be safely moved in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The comments came after weeks of ceasefire talks failed to reach an agreement, with key mediator Qatar admitting over the weekend that the outlook was bleak.
Washington, Israel’s main ally and military backer, has been pushing for a six-week truce in exchange for about 30 of the estimated 130 hostages Israel still holds in Gaza.
Israel says it believes many of the hostages, as well as Hamas leaders, are hiding in Rafah.
Militants took about 250 people hostage in an attack on Oct. 7 that sparked the war and left about 1,160 Israelis dead, according to an AFP tally of Israeli data.
Israeli retaliation has killed at least 28,858 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.
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