2024-04-09 12:56:08
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has further raised tensions over a plan to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah by announcing that there is now a date, the Associated Press reported.
So far, the prime minister has repeatedly said Israel should send ground troops to Rafah, claiming it is the last stronghold in Gaza of the radical Palestinian group Hamas.
However, the international community, including the United States, opposes the operation, saying that about 1.4 million civilians who have taken shelter in Rafah are at risk, BTA reported.
Israel, in turn, claims it has a plan to protect civilians, the AP points out.
Netanyahu said in a video statement today that the Rafah operation was key to victory.
“It’s going to happen. There’s a date,” he stated without continuing the subject. Netanyahu spoke in the context of the presence of Israeli negotiators in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where they discussed international mediation efforts to reach an agreement with “Hamas” on a cease-fire, notes the AP.