Israel will invade Rafah ‘with or without a deal’
Netanyahu: Halting Hamas war early is not an option
BENJAMIN Netanyahu is vowing to overrun Rafah whether there is a ceasefire deal with Hamas or not.
Israel’s Prime Minister remained defiant in the face of calls from Britain, the US and other world powers to abandon a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city.
He said: “The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all its objectives is out of the question.”
Rafah is the last enclave in the war-torn Gaza Strip, with 1.4 million Palestinian refugees.
Humanitarian groups have warned any invasion of the city could result in a “massacre” but Israel’s warships pounded it overnight. The civilian death toll included three women sheltering in an apartment.
Witnesses in Rafah also reported spy drones overhead in preparation for further action.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to swiftly accept Israel’s latest “extraordinarily generous” proposal for a Gaza truce.
As Israel pounded Gaza yesterday, killing 47, Mr Blinken told the World Economic Forum in Saudi capital Riyadh: “In this moment, the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas. They have to decide and they have to decide quickly. And I’m hopeful that they will make the right decision.”
Mr Blinken spoke as a Hamas delegation discussed the new proposal with mediators from Egypt and Qatar.
It includes a 40-day truce in return for the release of hostages taken by the militants on October 7 and the prospect of displaced families allowed back to northern Gaza. It reportedly also involves new wording on restoring calm.
Mediators were said to be cautiously optimistic. But Hamas officials said there was nothing generous about halting attacks that had killed tens of thousands. He added: “When you stop a crime you can’t claim that it’s a generous action from the Israeli side.”
In Gaza, witnesses accused the Israeli military of using drones that release the sounds of women and children calling for help, then attacking people who try to rescue them.
The Israeli Defense Forces did report destroying military sites including “operational tunnel shafts” in central Gaza and killing a number of fighters.