Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Announces Plan to Invade Gaza City

Israel Threatens Invasion of Rafah Amidst Truce Talks

Israel Threatens Invasion of Rafah Amidst Truce Talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel will proceed with an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, regardless of ongoing truce talks with Hamas. The decision comes as efforts continue to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Despite renewed warnings from the United States about the need to protect civilians, Netanyahu stated at a meeting of hostages’ relatives that he would invade Rafah “with or without” a deal. US President Joe Biden reiterated his stance on Rafah during a phone call with Netanyahu, describing an invasion as a “red line.”

International Concerns and Appeals for Prevention

The potential invasion of Rafah has raised international concerns, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling it an “unbearable escalation.” Guterres appealed to those with influence over Israel to do everything in their power to prevent the assault. More than half of Gaza’s population, totaling 2.5 million people, currently resides in Rafah after fleeing other parts of the territory to escape fighting. The city is overcrowded, and displaced individuals have reported dire conditions, including a lack of food, water, and medication.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in the West Bank, warned that an invasion of Rafah would be the “biggest catastrophe” in the history of the Palestinian people. Israeli sources indicated that plans to attack Rafah would be put on hold if a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was reached. However, Netanyahu insisted that the war would continue until all of Israel’s objectives in Rafah were achieved.

Impasse in Talks and Hope for a Truce

Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel have been at an impasse for weeks. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed hope that Hamas would accept what he called Israel’s “extraordinarily generous offer” for a truce. Meanwhile, the head of the UN’s refugee organization warned that the looming invasion was causing people in Rafah to live in a constant state of traumatic stress disorder. Philippe Lazzarini stated that if no deal was reached, there was a sense that evacuation might become necessary.

Netanyahu also denounced recent reports suggesting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague might issue arrest warrants for Israeli government leaders and military commanders on charges related to the war. He labeled these reports “a scandal on a historical scale” and emphasized that no decision, whether from the ICC or elsewhere, would deter Israel from achieving its war goals. Netanyahu called on the leaders of the free world to strongly oppose this alleged step, asserting that it would undermine the self-defense capacity of not only Israel but all democracies worldwide.

It is important to note that the ICC has been investigating alleged war crimes in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip since June 2014. Although Israel has not ratified the ICC’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, the court ruled in 2015 that it had jurisdiction over the situation because the Palestinians had ratified the treaty.