Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Joe Biden’s reaction to Israeli invasion of Rafah

2024-04-08 21:47:00
Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu (Miriam Alster)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured this Monday that “there is already a date” for the Israeli invasion of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, where thousands of Palestinians came to seek refuge following the start of the war.

In a video message, Netanyahu explained that he has received detailed information on the progress of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo to achieve a ceasefire agreement and the release of Israeli hostages in the Strip.

Israel’s victory over Hamas “requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist battalions. It is going to happen: there is a date,” said the prime minister.

Netanyahu seemed to respond in this way to the criticism of his far-right partners in the Government, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who in recent hours have sent warning messages to the president given the progress in the negotiations and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the south of the Stripe.

Netanyahu is under domestic pressure from his far-right coalition partners, who are angered by rumors of a truce as well as Israel’s withdrawal of troops from southern Gaza on Sunday.

“If Netanyahu decides to end the war without a comprehensive assault on Rafah, he will not have the mandate to serve as prime minister,” Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party and minister of National Security, even said.

For its part, the United States said Monday that it still opposes a major Israeli attack on the city of Rafah.

Around 1.5 million Gazans are taking refuge in the city of Rafah, which has so far not experienced a large-scale Israeli ground attack (REUTERS/Mohammed Salem)

With around 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah “we have made it clear to Israel that we believe that a large-scale military invasion of Rafah would have a hugely damaging effect on those civilians and would ultimately harm Israel’s security,” he said. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

Meanwhile, a Hamas source confirmed to the EFE agency that the group has received an agreement proposal that includes the return of displaced people to Gaza, but not to their homes, but to refugee camps.

“We believe that the occupation is trying to buy time by pretending that they are making serious offers,” said the source, who stressed that Hamas will not accept any agreement that does not contemplate a ceasefire that leads to the end of the war, allowing the displaced to return to their homes and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, in addition to a substantial increase in humanitarian aid.

However, the source pointed out that Hamas leaders in Gaza will discuss the proposal before giving a definitive response.

The White House said on Monday that negotiators in the Egyptian capital had presented Hamas with a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage deal.

“Now it will be up to Hamas to achieve it,” he said, describing the talks as “serious.”

The Gaza war was sparked by the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled territory’s Health Ministry.

Of the around 250 Israeli and foreign hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 129 remain in Gaza, of whom the army says 34 are dead.

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