Israeli forces will enter Rafah regardless of ceasefire or not, Netanyahu says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would enter the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip regardless of the outcome of talks to break the fighting, which appears to have made some progress in recent days.

“It must be done,” said the Israeli prime minister. “Because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach.”

Mr. Netanyahu did say that if a ceasefire agreement were reached, the move to Rafah, which has served as a last refuge for hundreds of thousands of Gaza families driven from their homes during 20 weeks of war, would be “somewhat would be postponed. ”

The push toward Rafah has prompted warnings from Israel’s closest ally, the United States, over the potential for massive civilian casualties in addition to the nearly 30,000 Gazans already reportedly killed in the war, more than half of whom are women and children.

Mr. Netanyahu, speaking on the CBS News program “Face the Nation,” said on Sunday that he believed Israel would be “weeks away” from total victory once the Rafah operation began.

Israeli officials have said the battle for Rafah could take place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin in the second week of March. Ramadan has been a crucial moment for tensions between Israelis and Palestinians for years.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned in a press conference on Sunday of “catastrophic” consequences if fighting in Gaza continued during Ramadan. Al Jazeera quoted him as saying this “exposes the entire region to the risk of an explosion.”

The Israeli government has come under intense criticism from both neighbors and allies over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza as it has continued its war against Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 militant-led attacks that reportedly 1,200 people in Israel died. Mr Netanyahu said on Sunday that the Israeli army had defied the predictions and warnings of its “best friends” at the start of the war, an apparent reference to US officials.

“They said you cannot fight, you cannot enter Gaza City, you cannot enter the tunnels, it will be a terrible massacre,” Mr Netanyahu said. “None of that turned out to be true.”

Mr Netanyahu’s comments seemed to underline the yawning chasm between how the war is perceived within Israel, where the main concern is the release of Israeli hostages and the defeat of Hamas, and much of the rest of the world, where anger and anger reigns. despair over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Mr. Netanyahu said that “this war has been forced on Israel and that Hamas is “not only targeting civilians, but also hiding behind civilians.” Israel has also said it is taking steps to relocate displaced civilians in Rafah to safer places.

But on Sunday, President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, again urged caution. “We have made it clear that we do not believe that any operation, any major military operation, should proceed in Rafah unless there is a clear and implementable plan to protect civilians, keep them safe and feed, clothe and house them. and we haven’t seen a plan like that yet,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the press.”

Mr Netanyahu’s comments came as an Israeli delegation prepared to depart for Qatar for intensive talks with mediators aimed at closing the gaps around a new agreement for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas and the release of some hostages held in Gaza. As the Israeli official familiar with the discussions said, the Israeli delegation could arrive as early as Monday in Qatar, which has helped mediate the talks.

The negotiations will follow talks held in Paris on Friday, where the Israeli delegation agreed to a basic outline for an agreement that would include a six-week ceasefire and the exchange of about 40 hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. two Israeli officials and a regional diplomat who all requested anonymity due to the delicate nature of the talks.

Hamas representatives were not present at the Paris meeting, and it was not immediately clear how acceptable the outline was to the group.

One of the key sticking points in the negotiations was Hamas’s insistence, at least publicly, on a complete cessation of hostilities as a condition for a hostage deal, as well as the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis.

Taher al-Nunu, a spokesman for Hamas’s political wing, said the group is adamant that any ceasefire must include a long-term end to Israel’s campaign in Gaza. “We cannot talk about a ‘temporary truce’ or ‘temporary calm’ that does not guarantee these points,” Mr al-Nunu said in a television interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday evening.

Israel’s War Cabinet on Saturday night approved the terms and conditions for a possible deal based on the Paris talks, one of the Israeli officials said, paving the way for a delegation to head to Qatar. The goal, the two Israeli officials said, was to reach an agreement before the start of Ramadan.

Reporting was contributed by Aaron Bokserman, Ronen Bergman, Vivian Yee And Anushka Patil.