Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he has already set a date to invade Rafah, a key area within the Gaza Strip. The prime minister of Israel does not share the position of the United States, which recently tried to convince its ally to find another way to avoid civilian casualties.
Without giving many details, Netanyahu confirmed the news on Monday, April 8, through a statement. "It will happen, there is a date," he assured.
Netanyahu highlighted the importance of entering the territory to enshrine an Israeli victory in the war with Hamas. "This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there," he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo. We are working constantly to attain our objectives, first and foremost the release of all of our hostages and the achieving of total victory over Hamas. pic.twitter.com/xw7LD2ujAo
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 8, 2024
Senior officials from Israel and the United States recently held a meeting precisely to address the Rafah situation.
"The two sides over the course of two hours had a constructive engagement on Rafah. They agreed that they share the objective to see Hamas defeated in Rafah. The U.S. side expressed its concerns with various courses of action in Rafah. The Israeli side agreed to take these concerns into account and to have follow up discussions between experts, overseen by the SCG. The follow up discussions would include in person SCG meeting as early as next week," the White House said in a statement released in early April.
While Biden continues to discourage a large-scale military offensive in Rafah to avoid further civilian casualties and not isolate the Jewish state internationally, the Netanyahu government maintains that an incursion is essential to dismantle the remaining Hamas battalions. As for civilians' concerns, they reportedly agreed to evacuate almost a million people before the attack.
An estimated 1.4 million civilians are seeking refuge in Rafah after following instructions from Israel to leave their homes in northern Gaza.
