Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (Mar 20) reiterated that Israel will launch a ground offensive against Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, however, it will “take some time” for the forces to be prepared for such an action.
Netanyahu said that Israel is continuing to operate in Khan Younis, in the camps in the centre, in eliminating and capturing senior Hamas officials.
In a televised address, Netanyahu said that he will soon approve a plan for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from fighting areas once the military’s operational plans for Rafah are approved.
The city of Rafah is on the southern edge of Gaza sheltering more than half the enclave’s 2.3 million people currently.
Analysts have warned that a ground incursion will further worsen the situation in Rafah amid widespread shortages of food, medicines and clean water. Washington says a ground assault there would be a “mistake” and cause too much harm to civilians.
A UN-backed report has even projected famine and stated that about half the population across the whole of the Gaza Strip facing “catastrophic hunger”.
Netanyahu told lawmakers he had made it “supremely clear” to United States President Biden in a phone call “that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah, and there’s no way to do that except by going in on the ground”.
According to Israel, Rafah is the last major holdout of armed fighters from Hamas.
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Senior Hamas officials killed
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that fighter jets eliminated five senior Hamas officials in Rafah on Monday. As reported by the local media, the jets operated in accordance with intelligence provided by the IDF and Shin Bet.
Sayid Katab Alkhashash, Osama Hamd Zaher, Muhamed, and Aud Almelalakhi are among the operatives who were killed. They were allegedly heads of Hamas’ Emergency Bureau in northern and eastern Rafah. Hadi Abu Alrus Kasin, an operations officer, was also killed.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)
