Mediators make progress on pause in Gaza
US wants to see Israel’s plan for evacuation
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is in sync with the U.S. about its plan to invade Rafah, the densely populated city in southern Gaza, but President Joe Biden has not yet seen a viable plan for the imminent operation, a top White House official said on Sunday.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House has not yet seen the Israeli plan to evacuate the more than 1 million people packed near the Egyptian border.
“We’ve been clear that we do not believe that a major military operation should proceed in Rafah unless there’s a clear and executable plan to protect those civilians, to get them to safety and to feed, clothe and house them,” Sullivan said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And we have not seen a plan like that.”
Netanyahu said Sunday that his government and U.S. officials agree that a plan for Rafah must include a mass evacuation. The prime minister said such a plan will go before the Israeli wartime Cabinet early next week.
“We’re on the same page with the U.S. on this, because that’s how we do it,” he said on CBS’war c “Face the Nation.” Netanyahu said he would be shown a “dual plan” in a meeting with his general staff on Sunday. He did not directly address Sullivan’s earlier comments or say whether Israel would show the plan to U.S officials before it heads to the wartime Cabinet.
Humanitarian aid organizations, including U.N. groups, have warned that military operations in the densely populated city would be devastating.
Netanyahu maintains the invasion is necessary to complete its objective of destroying Hamas. A temporary ceasefire deal being negotiated indirectly has made progress in recent days but Netanyahu said, even if an agreement is reached, it would only delay the invasion of Rafah.
“If we have a deal, it’ll be delayed somewhat but it’ll happen,” Netanyahu said. “If we don’t have a deal, we’ll do it anyway. It has to be done, because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach. Not months away, (but) weeks away once we begin the operation.”
Progress made on temporary cease-fire deal
Mediators met in Paris over the weekend to reach a cease-fire deal after negotiations appeared to break down earlier this month when Netanyahu vehemently opposed Hamas’ demands for Israel to pull its forces out of Gaza and release thousands of Palestinians from Israeli prisons in exchange for the hostages.
Representatives from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have made progress on a diplomatic agreement for a temporary cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza, according to statements from top Israeli officials and Israeli media reports.
The Israeli wartime Cabinet met on Sunday to discuss the hostage deal proposed in Paris. Officials estimate there are more than 100 captives in Gaza. While there’s been no official word on any decisions, several Israeli media outlets, citing unnamed officials, said negotiators would travel to Doha to continue discussions.
Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, in a televised interview Saturday before the Cabinet met, said, “It should be possible to move forward.”
Israel declared war after the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel in which militants killed about 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages. Since the start of the war, more than 29,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. The Health Ministry does not differentiate between combatant and civilian deaths.
Heavy fighting in northern Gaza
Heavy fighting continued in parts of northern Gaza, the first target of Israel’s offensive, where the destruction is staggering. Residents have reported days of intense combat in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
“We’re trapped, unable to move because of the heavy bombardment,” resident Ayman Abu Awad said.
He said starving residents have been forced to eat animal fodder and search for food in demolished buildings. Northern Gaza has been largely cut off from aid, and the U.N.’s World Food Program suspended deliveries last week.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military on Sunday announced it had “concluded” its operations in Nasser Hospital, where it arrested 200 suspected militants and “found boxes of sealed medicine with the names of Israeli hostages in addition to large quantities of weapons.”
For days leading up to the invasion, Israeli forces encircled Nasser Hospital, the largest health care facility in southern Gaza. Doctors and health officials said Israeli snipers shot people who were trying to flee the area and multiple patients died when a power outage cut off their oxygen supply.