TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are taking shelter from the nearly 7-month war, at a time when peace negotiations ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be in progress. gaining strength.
Netanyahu’s comments came hours before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to advance truce talks – which appear to be one of the most serious rounds of negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the start of the war. The agreement aims to free hostages, bring some relief to the population and prevent an Israeli offensive on Rafah and the potential harm to civilians there.
Netanyahu said Israel would enter Rafah, which Israel says is Hamas’ last stronghold, regardless of whether a hostage truce agreement is reached. His comments appeared aimed at appeasing his nationalist governing partners, but it was unclear whether they would have any bearing on any emerging deal with Hamas.
“The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all its objectives is out of the question,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office. “We will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there – with or without an agreement, to achieve total victory.”
The US has repeatedly said it opposes Operation Rafah until Israel presents a credible plan to evacuate and protect the estimated 1.5 million people seeking shelter there.
Blinken, speaking in Jordan before flying to Israel, said the “focus” right now is on improving the humanitarian situation and reaching a ceasefire agreement that brings the Israeli hostages home. He said Israel presented a “strong proposal” and called on Hamas to respond.
“There are no more delays. There are no more excuses. The time to act is now,” he said. “We want to see this agreement come to fruition in the coming days.”
Netanyahu has faced pressure from his government partners not to pursue a deal that could prevent Israel from invading Rafah. His government could be threatened if it agrees to a deal because hardline Cabinet members have demanded an attack on Rafah.
Netanyahu met on Tuesday with one of those partners, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, according to the minister’s office, who said Netanyahu promised him that “Israel will enter Rafah, promised that we will not stop the war and promised that he will win.” It will not be a reckless business.
With more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents sheltering in Rafah, the international community, including Israel’s main ally the United States, has warned Israel against any offensive that puts civilians at risk.
Netanyahu was speaking Tuesday at the Tikva Forum, a small group of hostage families that is distinct from the main group representing families of captive Israelis. The forum indicated that he would prefer to see Hamas crushed for the freedom of his loved ones. Most families and their supporters demonstrated in their thousands every week for a deal that would bring the hostages home, saying it should take precedence over military action.
Netanyahu’s coalition is made up of ultranationalist and conservative religious parties, and critics of the Israeli leader say his decision-making during the war was motivated by political considerations rather than national interests, an accusation Netanyahu denies. His government could collapse if one of the parties opposing a deal withdraws, a scenario Netanyahu would seek to avoid given that his support has plummeted in opinion polls since the start of the war, although it has seen a slight gradual increase .
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the ultranationalist Religious Zionist Party, said on Monday that he sought the “total annihilation” of Israel’s enemies, appearing to refer to Hamas, in a recorded portion of his remarks at an event that marked the end of the Easter holiday. which were broadcast in the Israeli media.
“You can’t do half a job,” he said.
The current agreement under discussion, brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar, provides for the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for a six-week suspension of fighting as part of an initial phase, according to an Egyptian official and Israeli media. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel would also be released, some of them serving long sentences.
Blinken, who met with regional leaders in Saudi Arabia and Jordan before landing in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, urged Hamas on Monday to accept the latest proposal, calling it “extraordinarily generous” on Israel’s part. .
But there remains a point of contention over what happens next. Hamas has demanded assurances that the eventual release of all hostages will bring a complete end to Israel’s nearly seven-month attack on Gaza and the withdrawal of its troops from the devastated territory. Israel offered only an extended pause, promising to resume its offensive once the first phase of the deal ends. The issue repeatedly obstructed mediators’ efforts during months of talks.
The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped about 250 hostages. Israel says the militants still hold about 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 other people.
The war in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. The war has driven around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes, caused vast destruction in numerous towns and cities, and pushed northern Gaza to the brink of famine.
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Lee reported from Amman, Jordan.
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