On Sunday, the White House announced that President Joe Biden has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off launching a military operation in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect and support the more than one million people sheltering there.
The US president and Netanyahu spoke over the phone for the first time since Biden described Israel's military strikes in Gaza as "over the top" on Thursday in response to Hamas's attack on October 7.
Biden spoke to Netanyahu on Sunday amid Israel's preparations for an offensive in the region that borders Egypt to the south of the strip. In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Netanyahu seemed defiant despite the call.
Netanyahu told the US network, "We're going to do it. We're going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah." He said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) believe four Hamas cells are operating inside Rafah.
However, he gave no timeframe for the operation and assured that the IDF would carry it out "while providing safe passage for the civilian population."
Israel's most recent military strategy has triggered widespread condemnation worldwide. Egypt, which borders the region and runs the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, said such an operation would be illegal under international law and risk a refugee crisis spilling over into its territory.
It has threatened to revoke its peace treaty with Israel, the Camp David Accords, which are a primary source of stability in the Middle East, if Mr Netanyahu follows through on his proposal.
Netanyahu Pushes Victory
When Israeli ground forces arrived in Gaza for the first time last year, they advised the strip's population to evacuate the north within 24 hours and head south towards areas like Rafah. The 1.4 million Gaza residents currently live there, mostly in 'tent cities' or temporary camps.
Netanyahu responded that there were areas north of Rafah city "already cleared by the IDF" when asked where these people could be expected to relocate again.
During his interview with ABC News, Netanyahu claimed that not moving on Rafah would result in Israel losing the war. However, he said, "Victory is in reach if the operation does happen."
He added when asked what victory meant that they do not have to kill every last terrorist, but they have to dismantle Hamas as a military force.
Furthermore, he was also questioned about the Israeli hostages that were still held in Gaza. He said that the number of missing persons "warrants the kind of efforts we are doing."
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, over 28,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died, and over 67,000 have been wounded since October 7.
Israel declared war after thousands of Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,300 people and capturing 250 hostages.
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