ISRAEL’s invasion of refugee-filled Rafah is imminent if no ceasefire agreement is reached, the country’s defense minister has warned.
Israel accused Hamas of blocking a truce agreement with “extreme demands,” including leaving the militant group in control of Gaza.
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Around 1.5 million civilians are sheltering in Rafah, with the majority having fled cities, refugee camps and villages further north.
Israel was said to be planning to attack five extensive Hamas tunnels and hideouts it claims exist beneath the devastated city.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, warned on Sunday that his government was preparing to launch “a powerful operation in the vicinity future in Rafah and other places throughout Gaza.”
Speaking to troops, he said: “We have clear objectives for this war: we are committed to the elimination of Hamas and the release of the hostages…
“We have identified alarming signs that Hamas, in fact, does not intend to enter into any agreement with us.
“What this means is an operation in Rafah and the entire Gaza Strip in the very near future.”
Fewer than half of the 250 hostages kidnapped by militants on October 7 have been released in the seven months since Hamas launched its attack on Israel, although many are believed to have died in captivity.
The threat of an imminent invasion of Rafah came as peace deal negotiations stalled on Sunday due to Hamas’ “extreme” demands.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, the first of which is the demand to withdraw all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war and leave Hamas alone.” power.
“Israel cannot accept this.”
He added: “We are not willing to accept a situation in which Hamas battalions abandon their tunnels, re-establish control over the Strip, rebuild their military industries and once again threaten the citizens of Israel in the Western Negev communities, in the cities of the south and throughout the country.
“In this case, the next October 7th would only be a matter of time. Hamas would be able to fulfill its promise to carry out repeated massacres, rapes and kidnappings.”
Egyptian and Qatari mediators worked with CIA chief William Burns in Cairo over the weekend to try to move forward with a truce agreement – without an Israeli delegation.
The Hamas delegation reportedly left the negotiating table after saying it would only agree to a deal if Israel permanently ended the war.
The agreement currently under discussion involves the release of 33 hostages by Hamas – all women, elderly and sick.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel was “very generous” in its offer and was willing to halt fighting for 40 days to secure the release of the Israeli hostages.
Hamas’s “extreme” demands included, according to the Israeli prime minister, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, an end to the war and the maintenance of the militant group intact.
The Israeli politician ruled out ending the war until all his “objectives are achieved”.
Nations including the UK and the US are pushing to avoid an offensive on Rafah, which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said would be “the greatest catastrophe in the history of the Palestinian people”.
But Netanyahu said Israel “will stand alone” if necessary, telling world leaders over the weekend: “No pressure, no decision from any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself.
“Never again now.”
Defense Minister Gallant added that “strong military action” will begin in Rafah “in the very near future and in the rest of the Strip”.
Netanyahu has vowed to crush the “last bastion” of Hamas, which he believes is hidden in – or beneath – Rafah.
The Israeli Prime Minister previously indicated that the war in Gaza will continue “until Hamas is destroyed” and that “anyone who thinks (Israel will) stop is out of touch with reality.”
He said in December: “We are raining fire on Hamas, hellfire. All Hamas terrorists, from the first to the last, face death.
“They have only two options: surrender or die.”
Israel is expected to press ahead with its ground offensive on Rafah even if negotiations collapse.
Why does Israel want to invade Rafah?
ISRAEL’s military is reportedly primed and ready to invade Rafah, regardless of whether or not it reaches a peace agreement with the militant group Hamas.
So why does Israel want to attack the southern city of Gaza?
Israel claims that Rafah is Hamas’ last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip, as its military claims to have already dismantled 18 of Hamas’ 24 battalions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will enter Rafah because we have no other choice.
“We will destroy the Hamas battalions there, we will accomplish all war objectives, including the return of all our hostages.”
The country believes that Hamas has five battalions in Rafah and that its ground forces must advance to destroy them.
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar is believed by the Israel Defense Forces to be hiding in tunnels beneath the city.
Around 1.5 million Palestinians – more than half of Gaza’s population – have sought refuge in Rafah, having fled cities, refugee camps and villages further north.
Israel has said it will evacuate civilians from the city before invading.
Its military claims to have purchased 40,000 tents, each with capacity for 10 to 12 people, to house Palestinians relocated from the city before the attack.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
