No part of Gaza will be safe, says Israel’s prime minister at a press conference on Wednesday evening. Now he is asking the Israeli military (IDF) to move into the south of the Gaza Strip. – We have instructed the IDF to operate in Rafah, the last fortified area of Hamas, says Netanyahu. Several Western countries have warned Israel against entering Rafah. The city is right on the border with Egypt and over a million internally displaced persons have sought refuge there. Netanyahu estimates that victory is within reach within a few months. – On a political level, we are working to destroy Hamas and to bring home the hostages. We shall not return from Gaza without victory. MANY REFUGEES HERE: Palestinian children wait in a food queue in Rafah. Photo: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / Reuters Warns Kåre Aas is a former ambassador to Israel, the USA and Afghanistan. He believes this will provoke sharp reactions. – Now there are one million Palestinians who have fled from northern Gaza to southern Gaza. Now they have nowhere else to be but in the south, says Aas. – If you then imagine that there will be a military operation in the area, then it goes without saying that the population will then suffer, as they did in the north, he says. DIPLOMAT: Kåre Aas hopes the international community pressures Netanyahu not to enter Rafah. Photo: Astri Husø Aas says threats of less military and financial support from the US may be something that will influence Netanyahu. – Netanyahu has always said that they will crush Hamas, and this is part of the strategy he has chosen. At the same time, I hope and believe that the international community will put considerable pressure on Israel, so that this does not happen. But time will tell, replies Aas. Border with Egypt The Rafah border crossing, where emergency aid flows in and vulnerable civilians wait to escape, is the only crossing into Egypt that Israel does not control. The crossing is located in the southernmost city on the Gaza Strip, Rafah. In addition to the border crossing on land, there are probably several tunnels under the ground. The tunnels have existed for a long time. During the 2014 war, Israel bombed several of them together. Nevertheless, the system is still considered to be the main supply vein that leads weapons and money into Hamas. CONTROVERSIAL: Benjamin Netanyahu met French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on Monday. Photo: POOL / Reuters Rejects ceasefire According to Reuters, Hamas has submitted a proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in three phases of 45 days each. The proposal is said to have included a prisoner exchange, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the end of the war in Gaza within 135 days. Refugee camp in Rafah. Photo: MOHAMMED ABED / AFP At the press conference, Netanyahu says that agreeing to Hamas’s demands will be an invitation to a new massacre. A Hamas spokesman told Reuters that Netanyahu’s comments on the attempted ceasefire show he wants to continue the conflict in the region.
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Netanyahu will send soldiers into Rafah – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
