Netanyahu: Date for Rafah Invasion Has Been Set

Israel has plans for a military offensive in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, as revealed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday night.

“We are committed to achieving our objectives, foremost among them the release of all hostages and the decisive defeat of Hamas. This entails entering Rafah and neutralizing the terrorist militants there,” stated the Prime Minister in a video released by his office.

Netanyahu disclosed that a specific date has been set for the operation, following a comprehensive briefing he received on the hostage-for-ceasefire negotiations held in Cairo earlier that day.

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, informed reporters on Thursday that they had not been informed of the operation’s date.

The Israeli government has stressed that urging Israel to refrain from action in Rafah is tantamount to impeding its war efforts. Many of the 133 hostages still held by Hamas are believed to be located in Rafah. Two hostages were recently rescued from the city in a daring military operation.

It’s estimated that the final four Hamas battalions, comprising around 3,000 terrorists, are concentrated in Rafah. Netanyahu has underscored the necessity of defeating all battalions to prevent Hamas from regrouping and posing a threat to Israel again.

Despite U.S. opposition, a majority of Israelis (64%) support expanding military operations to Rafah, according to a recent poll. The Biden administration advocates for a limited operation targeting high-value Hamas assets and securing the border with Egypt, fearing a full-scale ground incursion could lead to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Discussions on alternative plans will take place when a senior Israeli delegation visits Washington, although a date for the meeting has yet to be finalized.

White House adviser John Kirby mentioned that Israel had agreed not to proceed with the Rafah operation until the postponed meeting in Washington. The meeting, originally scheduled for late last month, was canceled after the U.S. refrained from vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution on March 25, which separated the demand for a ceasefire from the release of the Hamas-held hostages.

Last week, Israeli officials engaged in virtual talks with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and other American counterparts to discuss the Rafah operation.