IT WILL HAPPEN.. THERE IS A DATE
Israel’s pledge to attack Rafah after killing Hezbollah chief
ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a date has been set for his ground invasion of Rafah.
Global alarm has been raised by the prospect of an offensive, including from Israel’s top ally, the US, which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians.
Currently 1.4 million Palestinians are there, 600,000 of them children.
Israel has insisted it has a plan to protect the civilians. It is purchasing 40,000 tents to prepare for the evacuation, an Israel official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Netanyahu said the Rafah operation is essential for victory. “It will happen. There is a date,” he added, without elaborating.
Israel has pulled troops out of southern Gaza, whilst hopes for a ceasefire have gathered pace, with talks in Cairo, Egypt.
It came as fighters killed a senior commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force operatives. The death of Ali Ahmad Hassin in an airstrike in southern Lebanon is a major blow to the Iran-backed group, who have been preparing for war.
Hassin was targeted in the village of Sultaniyeh as he was behind attacks on northern Israel. Hezbollah said Hassin was “carrying out his jihadist duty.”
Experts estimate more than 2,000 Radwan commandos have war-gamed for a ground assault on northern Israel with footage of them training emerging online.
Israel is on high-alert for revenge attacks from Iran following a strike on its consul in Damascus, Syria, which killed seven. Among them was senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who was a key link between the Tehran regime and Hezbollah.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said troops had been pulled out of Khan Younis to prepare for future operations.
An estimated 55% of the buildings in the area – around 45,000 – have been destroyed or damaged, according to researchers tracking satellite data.
Mahmoud Abdel-ghani, who fled in December, has returned and found his and his neighbours’ houses flattened. He said: “Many areas, especially the city centre, have become unfit for life.”
One woman, called Hanan, clambered over slabs of collapsed concrete on the wreckage that was once her home. She said: “Our memories, our dreams, our childhood, it’s all gone.”
Israel Defence Forces officials have said a “significant force” remained in Gaza to continue targeted operations.
The Palestinian death toll from the war has passed 33,000 so far with another 75,600 wounded.
Women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.
The war began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, taking around 250 hostage.