Just hours after the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas announced it would agree to the mediators’ proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli army attacked targets east of the city of Rafah on Monday night.
According to an army spokesman, the targets were Hamas installations.
Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuThe Israeli War Cabinet had already decided to continue the military operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, in order to increase military pressure on Hamas and achieve Israel’s war objectives.
“Although Hamas’ proposal is far from satisfying Israel’s main demands, Israel will send a high-level delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel,” said a statement from the cabinet. from Netanyahu.
Egypt and Qatar mediated the proposal, the content of which is still officially unknown.
The Israeli military had already called on the approximately 100,000 inhabitants of the eastern part of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, to move to the al-Mawasi camp, a few kilometers to the north. The United Nations and the governments of several countries, including Germany and France, have warned of the consequences of a military operation in Rafah.
Demonstrations in favor of a negotiated solution for the release of hostages held by Hamas took place in several Israeli cities on Monday night. “Time to decide – life or death”, read a large banner at a demonstration by relatives of hostages kidnapped in the Gaza Strip on October 7.
“Instead of ending the war and returning all the hostages home, the government threatens a military operation in Rafah that will put their lives in danger,” said a representative of the families.
