Netanyahu says a hostage deal would slow, but not stop, the invasion of Rafah.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that progress toward an agreement on a temporary ceasefire and the release of some hostages held in Gaza would require Hamas to soften its demands, as he claimed that any agreement would delay this, but ultimately not prevent it. an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah.

Speaking to CBS News on his “Face the Nation” program, Mr. Netanyahu said regarding a deal that would bring more hostages home: “we want it; That’s what I want.” But he reiterated a message he had delivered several times recently: that Hamas’ positions in the negotiations were “delusional.”

“If Hamas can put its delusions behind it and put its feet on the ground, then we will make the progress we all want,” he said of a possible deal, declining to discuss details of the negotiations.

Mr Netanyahu’s comments came as talks between an Israeli delegation and international mediators in Paris were due to continue in Qatar this week. Hamas representatives were not in Paris, and it was not immediately clear whether they would agree to the terms outlined there.

He added that Israel would proceed with a ground invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza regardless of whether or not an agreement was reached, saying such an operation was essential for eliminating Hamas. Israel would make progress despite fervent international warnings that a ground invasion would have catastrophic consequences for the more than 1.4 million Palestinians trapped in the area and struggling to survive.

“If we have a deal, it will be delayed a bit,” Netanyahu said of a ground invasion in Rafah. ‘But it will happen. If we don’t have a deal, we’ll do it anyway.”

He added that he would soon meet with Israeli military leaders to review plans to expel Palestinian civilians from Rafah and advance on Hamas battalions there, insisting that Israel was “on the same page” on the issue like the US”.

But President Biden has yet to be briefed on Israel’s plans for Rafah, his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

“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 such a plan yet,” Mr. Sullivan said.

International aid groups and human rights watchdogs have repeatedly warned that any plan to expel hundreds of thousands of civilians from the area is unlikely to be carried out without leading to large numbers of deaths.

Mr. Sullivan declined to answer whether Mr. Biden was willing to withhold weapons from Israel over the issue, saying American officials were waiting for more information from their Israeli counterparts.