On Sunday, the 18th of February, Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz warned that if Hamas does not release all hostages held in Gaza by the 10th of March, it will launch an offensive in Rafah, while global opposition to such an attack on the city where some 1.5 million Palestinians are taking refuge is growing, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
Former defence minister Gantz said that if the hostages were not returned by Ramadan, which begins on the 10th of March, hostilities would intensify, extending to the Rafah area.
Gantz added that Israel would act “in a coordinated manner, facilitating the evacuation of civilians and in dialogue with our American and Egyptian partners to minimise civilian casualties”.
However, Israeli officials have not yet provided further details on the evacuation plan.
It is believed that Israel expects some Palestinians to seek refuge on the Egyptian side of the border, where the authorities are building a barrier for that purpose, according to a BBC diplomatic correspondent.
Although Ramadan is three weeks away, some Rafah residents are already leaving, unsure of the situation.
Despite international pressure not to attack the city, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is determined to launch a ground assault on Rafah to destroy Hamas. Egypt and some other Arab countries have repeatedly warned that an Israeli attack could force many Palestinians to move to Egypt, which they consider unacceptable. Saudi Arabia has warned of “serious repercussions” if Rafah is attacked.
The US, Israel’s main ally, has said that launching an operation in the city without proper planning would be a “disaster”.
In Cairo, efforts have been made in recent days to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, although Qatari mediators have said that progress is “not very promising”.
Netanyahu said he had sent negotiators at the request of the US President but added that they did not return for further talks because Hamas’ demands were “delusional”, while Hamas accused Israel of making no progress towards a ceasefire agreement.
Since Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on the 7th of October, killing at least 1 200 people and taking 253 hostages, more than 28 400 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry.
Also read: Ireland, Spain call on EU to review EU-Israel accord in light of human rights concerns
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