17-3-2024 (TEL AVIV) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israeli forces were poised to launch a ground offensive in southern Gaza’s Rafah, sparking concerns over potential civilian casualties.
In a video released by his office, Netanyahu asserted, “No amount of international pressure will deter us from achieving all the objectives of the conflict: dismantling Hamas, securing the release of all our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza ceases to pose a threat to Israel.”
“To achieve this, we will also take action in Rafah.”
His remarks coincided with anticipated discussions in Doha aimed at brokering a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel has been engaged in a military operation against Hamas militants for over five months. Israeli leaders were slated to deliberate on the delegation’s “mandate.”
Netanyahu was scheduled to hold talks on Sunday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was expected to reiterate his caution against a ground incursion in Rafah, where the majority of Gazans have sought shelter from sustained Israeli airstrikes.
US President Joe Biden, who has backed Israel during the conflict, warned that an Israeli advance into Rafah would cross a “red line” unless credible measures to protect civilians were in place.
On Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the UN’s World Health Organization, appealed to Israel “in the name of humanity” to refrain from launching an offensive in Rafah.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Friday that he had endorsed the military’s plan for an operation in Rafah, although no specific timeline was provided.
Rafah stands as the last major urban centre in Gaza yet to face a ground assault in the conflict, which was ignited by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7.
The assault resulted in approximately 1,160 casualties, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli data.
Hamas seized around 250 Israeli and foreign hostages on October 7, with Israel estimating that around 130 of them, including 32 presumed deceased, remain in Gaza.
According to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, Israel’s military campaign has claimed the lives of at least 31,645 individuals in Gaza, predominantly women and children.
