Palestinians were told by the army to leave parts of Rafah
Israel does not want a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the leader of the Palestinian group, and the source of the violence
Netanyahu continued to lower expectations for a cease-fire, calling Hamas demands “extreme”, and said that Israel would not accept a negotiated end to the military conflict in Gaza. The fighting began when Hamas launched an attack on Oct. 7.
Half of Gaza’s population are sheltered in Rafah where Israel has threatened to launch a ground offensive for months. It is the only way to defeat Hamas according to Netanyahu. Four remaining Hamas battalions are in the area, according to Israel.
Israel’s move comes after the latest round of negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas appeared to remain stuck on key issues of concern. William Burns, the CIA director, is thought to have been involved in the Cairo talks.
Israel ordered the local offices of AlJazeera to close as it accused the news network of promoting anti-Israel propaganda. The ban did not appear to affect the channel’s operations in Gaza or the West Bank.
The priority of Hamas is to stop the aggression against our people and that is what it is approaching the deal with, according to the leader of the group.
Palestinians are not ready to leave Gaza without the aid of Hamas, the UN agency for refugees and the Israeli-Israeli-Israel War on Refugees
The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, called for an independent investigation and “accountability for the blatant disregard of humanitarian workers.” He also said Israel this week denied him entry to Gaza for a second time.
Cindy McCain, the chief of the WFP, said in the full NBC interview that famine was moving its way to the south of Gaza and Israel’s efforts to allow in more aid were not enough. We’re at a point where we have enough food and trucks to feed 1.1 million people for about three months. She said that we should get that in.
Gaza has a great need for humanitarian assistance which puts pressure on the pursuit of a cease-fire. The Egyptian proposal would bring an immediate cease-fire, the release of Israeli hostages and a pullout by Israel from Gaza. The initial stage would last for 40 days. Hamas would release hostages in exchange for prisoners held by Israel.
Four Israeli soldiers were killed hours later when Hamas launched rockets into Israel. Israel launched air strikes on Rafah, killing a number of civilians. According to Gaza’s health ministry, air strikes on Rafah killed at least 26 people, with 11 children and eight women among them, and there are still bodies under the rubble. Humanitarian aid had been entering southern Gaza when Israel closed its border.
Netanyahu said that no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself during his address for the annual Holocaust memorial day.
According to Palestinian health officials, at least 34,500 people have been killed by Israeli’s air and ground offensive, of which 80% are women and children.
Many Palestinians in Rafah have told NPR over the past several weeks they cannot leave or do not know where to go. Others said they will follow wherever leaflets tell them to flee, even if areas in the past that were meant to be safe were later bombed.
People in Rafah were told to leave for an “expanded humanitarian area” in al-Mawasi and Khan Younis, areas north and northwest of the city. Israel’s military sent out text and voice messages, and posted maps on social media with arrows instructing people where to flee.
“We are not ready to accept a situation in which the Hamas battalions come out of their bunkers, take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure, and return to threatening the citizens of Israel,” he said, refusing a deal that demands Israeli troop withdrawal and an end to the war.
The talks continued to be stuck on details about Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and whether a permanent ceasefire or a temporary truce would be the first outcome of the agreement.
The Status of the Gaza Strip and Implications for Israel’s War with Hamas in the Confrontation between the U.S. and Israel
Israel insists an assault on Rafah is necessary to dismantle Hamas battalions operating there. Netanyahu said last week that he would enter southern Gaza without a deal with Hamas.
Qatar, a key mediator, says a Rafah offensive could further complicate the negotiations while Egypt, which borders Rafah, has consistently opposed an assault on the city, fearing mass displacement of Palestinians into its territory.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said that Israel would have a limited scope in its operation in Rafah. But Shoshani would not say whether this meant a broader incursion had begun or would continue at a later stage.
Khan Younis has been mostly destroyed by Israel’s assault there and fighting with Hamas. There are also unexploded munitions in the area. Access to health care, water, and fuel for generators or power is not available in the region because it borders the sea.
In the past few weeks, the U.S. and the UN have tried to discourage Israel from an incursion. Overnight, Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, told U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, in a phone call that “there was no choice left and this meant the start of the Israeli operation in Rafah.”
