On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a stern declaration to assail Rafah located in the southern region of Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s warning emerges in the midst of speculations about a potential ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
He affirmed that the Israeli military would penetrate Rafah to eliminate Hamas’ units “regardless of the existence of any agreement”.
The Prime Minister conveyed this message while addressing families of Israeli soldiers, as conveyed in a press release from his office.
Netanyahu announced that the process of evacuating civilians from Rafah has commenced.
He emphasized, “The notion of ceasing the conflict before accomplishing all its objectives is not an option.”
“The civilian evacuation in Rafah has been initiated. We will reach there shortly,” he added.
Rafah shelters approximately 1.4 million displaced Palestinians and stands as the only area in the Gaza Strip that Israel is yet to seize.
Netanyahu’s remarks coincided with reports about a novel ceasefire proposition under deliberation between Hamas and Israel to terminate the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
As per two Israeli officials interviewed by news outlet Axios, the revised proposal entails Israel’s readiness to engage in discussions concerning the “reinstatement of sustainable tranquility” in Gaza following an initial release of hostages on humanitarian grounds.
Hamas is anticipated to provide its response to the ceasefire offer later this week.
Since the cross-border assault by Hamas on October 7th resulted in around 1,200 casualties, Israel has relentlessly engaged in an offensive against the Palestinian territory.
More than 34,500 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have lost their lives, while thousands of others have been wounded amidst widespread devastation and acute shortages of essential resources.
After over six months of the Israeli military campaign, substantial parts of Gaza lie in ruins, forcing 85% of the region’s populace into internal displacement amid a severe blockade on food, water, and medical supplies, as reported by the UN.