Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah regardless of cease-fire deal - The Washington Post
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A Palestinian woman walks past the rubble of buildings destroyed in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Tuesday. (AFP/Getty Images)

Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah regardless of cease-fire deal

2 min

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s position that its forces will launch an anticipated military operation in Rafah regardless of whether a cease-fire and hostage deal is reached with Hamas. He made the remark amid fresh optimism that new negotiations could lead to a halt in fighting. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued his tour of the Middle East, arriving in Israel Tuesday to work toward getting more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

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“We will enter Rafah, and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with representatives of hostages’ and victims’ families in Jerusalem.
More than a million displaced civilians have sought refuge in Rafah in southern Gaza; Israel says it is a remaining Hamas stronghold. President Biden has said the United States will not support a full-scale attack unless Israel has a plan to protect civilians.
Blinken and his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Cameron, said there is a “generous” proposal before Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages. Blinken said the deal awaits a green light from Hamas.
At least 34,535 people have been killed and 77,704 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.
Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 263 soldiers have been killed since the launch of its military operation in Gaza.
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“We will enter Rafah, and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with representatives of hostages’ and victims’ families in Jerusalem.
More than a million displaced civilians have sought refuge in Rafah in southern Gaza; Israel says it is a remaining Hamas stronghold. President Biden has said the United States will not support a full-scale attack unless Israel has a plan to protect civilians.
Blinken and his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Cameron, said there is a “generous” proposal before Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages. Blinken said the deal awaits a green light from Hamas.
At least 34,535 people have been killed and 77,704 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.
Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 263 soldiers have been killed since the launch of its military operation in Gaza.
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Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival. (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.