Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has sent a warning to Hamas, threatening to launch an offensive in Rafah if all hostages in Gaza are not freed by 10 March.
This is the first time that Israel has indicated when their troops might enter Gaza’s crowded southern city. The global community is expressing increased opposition to such an attack in Rafah, as it is home to approximately 1.5 million Palestinians.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that a key Gaza hospital has ceased to function after an Israeli raid, with UN health officials being denied access to assess the situation. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim that intelligence has indicated hostages taken by Hamas are being held at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, north of Rafah. The IDF have described their operation in Nasser as “precise and limited” and have accused Hamas of using hospitals for terror.
Benny Gantz, a former defense minister, has stated that if the hostages are not released by the start of Ramadan on 10 March, Israel will continue fighting, including in the Rafah area. He has also mentioned that Israel will facilitate the evacuation of civilians in coordination with American and Egyptian partners to minimize civilian casualties.
It is believed that Israel expects some Palestinians to seek shelter on the Egyptian side of the border, where reports suggest that authorities are building a large walled enclosure for this purpose. However, no details of an evacuation plan have been provided by Israeli officials.
As of now, there are reports of some people leaving Rafah to head west towards the coast, while most are still in a state of uncertainty about what to do. Despite international pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to launch a ground assault on Rafah to eliminate Hamas gunmen.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have been undergoing a lack of progress in Cairo, with Qatari mediators stating the situation as “not very promising”. Israel’s push for negotiations has been rejected, with Mr. Netanyahu blaming Hamas for the stalled ceasefire deal.
The situation in Gaza remains highly volatile, with continued fighting resulting in the deaths of over 28,400 Palestinians and injuries to more than 68,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The past 24 hours saw at least 127 Palestinians killed and 205 others injured. Despite this grim reality, there is still no agreement on a ceasefire, leaving the situation unresolved and Palestinians in a state of uncertainty.
