Report: Israel Preparing for Rafah Operation in Mid-April or Early May

By Yoni Weiss

Israel is reportedly making preparations for a ground operation in Rafah, with plans indicating a time frame around mid-April to early May. This decision comes following the breakdown of recent negotiations in Qatar, where Israel refused to make further concessions to Hamas. According to sources from Egypt who have been in contact with IDF officials, as cited by the pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar daily, the operation is expected to commence after Eid al-Fitr, which ends around April 12, or in early May at the latest.

The ground operation, aimed at the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip, is anticipated to last between four to eight weeks. It will be coupled with a mass evacuation of the civilian population residing in Rafah. The evacuation process will be meticulously organized, with civilians directed toward the center of the Strip along specified routes and at designated times, communicated well in advance to residents in each area of Rafah.

To ensure the safety of the evacuation process and to prevent any Hamas terrorists or Israeli hostages from being concealed among the civilian population, ground and aerial monitoring will be conducted, as outlined by Egyptian officials.

Egypt has voiced profound concerns over the potential IDF operation in Rafah, fearing it could lead to further escalation not only within Gaza but also across the wider region. Allegedly, Israel has pledged to inform Egypt in advance of any IDF movement into the Philadelphi corridor, situated west of Rafah along the Gaza-Egypt border.

Additionally, it has been reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi declined a request from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for a direct communication line to be maintained.

Furthermore, negotiations are said to be underway with UAE mediation to facilitate the delivery of medication to Israeli hostages. This would be in exchange for allowing substantial quantities of medicine into the Gaza Strip.