Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a date has been set for an Israeli invasion of Rafah, Gaza's last refuge for displaced Palestinians, without disclosing that date as a new round of ceasefire talks take place in Cairo.
A market in downtown Rafah © Mena Today
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a date has been set for an Israeli invasion of Rafah, Gaza.
"Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo, we are constantly working to achieve our goals, first and foremost the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas," Netanyahu said.
"This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen - there is a date."
Rafah is the last stronghold of terrorist organizations, where the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are hiding and where Israeli hostages are held. From a military standpoint, control of Rafah is essential.
Reporting by Henriette Chacar and Mena Today
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, strongly criticized Israel on Tuesday, accusing it of repeated violations of the current ceasefire in Gaza, following a series of Israeli airstrikes that reportedly targeted Hamas infrastructure in the enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday in Tel Aviv with U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, amid renewed tensions in Gaza that have strained the fragile ceasefire in place since October 10.
Israeli fire killed three people near a ceasefire line in Gaza on Monday, medics said, with U.S. envoys expected in Israel to try to push forward the fragile truce that faced its gravest test so far over the weekend.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.