The Israeli army will enter Rafah “regardless of an agreement” with Hamas. Benjamin Netanyahu is thus opposing the public pressure that Joe Biden and his government have been exerting for days against the land operation in the southern Gaza Strip, where over a million Palestinians are refugees.
“Everyone wants a new deal for the hostages, I want it too. “It's good if we get it, but even if we get the deal, Israel will continue the military operation in Rafah,” he said in the press conference. It said: “There is no alternative to total victory and there is no way to achieve it except by eliminating the Hamas battalions in Rafah. And we will do it.”
“Those who want to stop us from operating in Rafah are essentially telling us: lose the war, I will not allow that to happen. “I will not give in to any pressure,” the Israeli prime minister added, explaining that he told Biden that Israel will fight until “complete victory” and that this includes the action in Rafah. An operation that, he added, “obviously” will only take place once civilians have been given the opportunity to “evacuate to safe areas,” arguing that “there is a lot of space north of Rafah” where Palestinian refugees can go .
For Netanyahu, Hamas' “delusional” demands are the crucial point for an agreement over the hostages and a cessation of hostilities. Should the group give up, there could be progress.
Hamas warns: “Talks suspended until help arrives in Gaza”
For its part, Hamas “intends to suspend negotiations until aid arrives in the Gaza Strip.” A movement leader told Al Jazeera that “negotiations cannot take place while the Palestinian people are struggling to survive hunger.”
Qatari minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani remains optimistic. “I believe we can see an agreement very soon, but the trend of the last few days is not promising,” he said at the Munich Security Conference. “We will always remain optimistic and continue to push for an agreement,” added the prime minister, who is the main mediator in the negotiations.
For Al-Thani, an agreement “should not be made dependent on an agreement to release the hostages.” “This is the dilemma we find ourselves in, which has unfortunately been abused by many countries, that a hostage ceasefire agreement is conditional and should not be conditional,” the Qatari prime minister said.
Dozens of Palestinians are killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza
Meanwhile, raids and fighting between Israel and Hamas continue in Gaza. According to doctors from Al-Aqsa and Al-Awda Martyrs' Hospitals told CNN, at least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured in attacks on various areas of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the Gaza Strip.
100 terrorists arrested in Khan Yunis
Israeli forces operating in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip have arrested “100 suspected terrorists” at Nasser Hospital. This is what the IDF says, as the Israeli news site Ynet reports. Also in Khan Yunis, the IDF “carried out targeted raids against several terrorist targets, during which weapons were found, including grenades, explosive devices and AK-47 rifles,” according to a note printed by the Israeli news site Ynet.
In Tel Aviv, thousands of people took to the streets to demand Netanyahu's resignation
Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv and other cities to demand the resignation of the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu and new elections. The demonstrators, including the families of the hostages, are calling on the prime minister to accept the ceasefire and the agreement to release the hostages still in the hands of Hamas. Protests were also recorded near Netanyahu's villa in Caesarea.
Herzog zu Blinken: “The priority is to complete the eradication of Hamas”
“The priority is to maintain Israel's security, and to achieve this we must complete the work of eliminating the Hamas structures.” This is how Israeli President Isaac Herzog responded to Antony Blinken, who spoke today in Munich of the “real Opportunities we face, for a more secure future for Israelis, Palestinians and all our friends in the region.” “I heard his speech today,” Herzog said at a meeting with the US Secretary of State on the sidelines of the Munich conference, “and I think I found it interesting, I think there are possibilities that need to be explored.” But Herzog insisted that beyond destroying Hamas, releasing the hostages was Israel's priority “in these difficult times.” “We want them to be at home and we are working with the international community and with you on the issue of humanitarian assistance so that we can provide them there and whenever necessary, in accordance with humanitarian laws,” the Israeli president concluded .
For his part, Blinken reiterated that “the United States cannot support a military ground operation in Rafah without a credible and enforceable plan to ensure the safety of the more than one million refugees.” The two heads of state and government announced State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. discussed efforts to secure the release of the hostages and achieve a humanitarian pause that would allow the increased flow of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The Secretary of State finally said: “Underscored the need for all parties to take appropriate measures to protect the hostages, protect the lives of civilians and prevent an expansion of the conflict.” And he reaffirmed “the United States' commitment to a lasting peace in the region, which includes the creation of a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.”
Houthis claim rocket attack on oil tanker in Red Sea
Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthis have claimed responsibility for firing missiles against the British tanker Pollux in the Red Sea. This morning on The Houthis reiterate their threat: they will not hesitate to “conduct and expand military operations in defense of beloved Yemen and reaffirm concrete solidarity with the Palestinian people” until “a ceasefire and the lifting of the siege of the Gaza Strip” are achieved .
WSJ: “US sends bombs and other weapons to Israel”
The Biden administration is reportedly preparing to send bombs and other weapons to Israel even as the United States pushes for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. This is what the Wall Street Journal writes, citing American officials and former officials. According to the newspaper's sources, the possible delivery – which is still being reviewed internally and whose details could change – would include, among other things, around a thousand Mk-82 bombs and Kmu-572 kits. All are estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars.
Gaza: “Almost 29,000 dead since October 7th”
Almost 29,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip since October 7th. The new figure from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which has been under Hamas control since 2007, puts at least 28,858 dead and 68,667 injured. The satellite television al-Jazeera reported on it.
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