HOSTAGE ULTIMATUM

Israel: Free ’em or we hit Rafah

Israel is prepared to launch a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah by the time the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins next month if the remaining hostages are not released, a senior official warned over the weekend.

“The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know: If by Ramadan, our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue to the Rafah area,” Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war Cabinet, told American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem on Sunday.

“To those saying the price is too high, I say this very clearly: Hamas has a choice — they can surrender, release the hostages, and this way, the residents of Gaza can celebrate the holy holiday of Ramadan.”

The holy month begins March 10.

If by then the hostages aren’t released, Gantz pledged that the military would facilitate the evacuation of Gazan civilians in coordination with the US and Egypt to minimize casualties, as Egyptian officials build a wall to keep Palestinian refugees out.

The US has proposed a draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire and opposing the Rafah assault in a move that could deepen the divide between US and Israel.

The draft text, which echoes language President Biden said he used last week in chats with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “determines that under current circumstances a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighboring countries.”

Biden has been increasingly critical of Netanyahu, calling him a “f--king bad guy” and “a-hole” while saying Israel has already killed “too many” Palestinian civilians, sources have said.

Gantz’s comments came one day after Israel’s hostages and missing persons coordinator claimed that the remaining 100 hostages are being held in Rafah.

“Rafah has many people there that Hamas uses right now as human shields,” Gal Hirsch told CNN’s Alex Marquadt. “We are doing our best — everything we can, everything that is possible, to avoid collateral damage. But Rafah must be next because we must release our hostages.”

Hamas officials have said they will not release the remaining hostages until Israel withdraws from Gaza and ends the war.