Israel will launch a ground offensive on the Gaza city of Rafah unless hostages still held by Hamas are released by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan next month, a member of the Israeli war cabinet said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world must know and Hamas leaders must know: if by Ramadan our hostages are not home the fighting will continue to the Rafah area,\u201d Benny Gantz said in a speech Sunday to American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
If there is an assault, he pledged that the military would facilitate the evacuation of Gazan civilians in coordination with the U.S. and Egypt to minimize casualties. Israel has been under intense pressure, including from some of its closest allies, to scrap the planned assault on Rafah or at least ensure civilians are allowed to leave beforehand and are sent to safe places.<\/p>\n
More than one million Palestinians fled to Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military focused on northern and central areas during the start of the Israel-Hamas war.<\/p>\n
Ramadan, a month during which Muslims fast in the day, is expected to start on March 10.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo those saying the price is too high, I say this very clearly: Hamas has a choice,\u201d Gantz said. \u201cThey can surrender, release the hostages, and this way, the residents of Gaza can celebrate the holy holiday of Ramadan.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was unclear from Gantz\u2019s remarks if Israel is insisting on both a release of captives and a surrender from Hamas to stop the attack on Rafah, and \u2014 if the group doesn\u2019t lay down its arms but lets captives go \u2014 whether an assault would only be held off until after Ramadan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is yet to comment on Gantz\u2019s speech.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu has previously said a ground operation in Rafah is essential to eliminate Hamas\u2019 remaining battalions and that those calling for Israel to stay out of the area are essentially calling for Israel to lose the war.<\/p>\n
Gantz is an opposition leader and former head of the Israel Defense Forces. The war cabinet, made up of just five people, was formed days after the war erupted on Oct. 7 and is meant to see Israel through the conflict.<\/p>\n
According to recent surveys, Gantz is more popular than Netanyahu among Israelis and is considered the most suitable candidate to become the next prime minister. His National Unity party is polling far ahead of Netanyahu\u2019s Likud.<\/p>\n
Gantz said Israel would continue fighting until its goals are achieved, which, in addition to destroying Hamas and bringing the remaining hostages in Gaza home, include removing the threat of Hezbollah in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
He also told the Jewish leaders he opposes unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, and that following the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas, such a step is not the way to regional stability and peace.<\/p>\n
The war with Hamas began when the Iran-backed group infiltrated from Gaza and carried out attacks across southern Israel, leaving about 1,200 people dead and taking more than 250 hostage. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing war. It hasn\u2019t said how many of those are combatants.<\/p>\n
Around 130 people are still thought to be held hostage in Gaza, though the Israeli government says only about 100 are alive.<\/p>\n
Egypt Tensions<\/p>\n
Rafah is close to Gaza\u2019s border with Egypt and the main point of entry for aid into the Mediterranean enclave. The Egyptian government has consistently said it won\u2019t take in refugees en masse, arguing that would pose security risks and be a betrayal of the Palestinian cause for an independent state because Israel may not let them back in to Gaza again.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s said that people in Rafah can instead move to parts of Gaza further to the north.<\/p>\n
In recent days, satellite imagery has shown construction activity in Egypt about two miles from the border with Gaza, with land being cleared and a wall being built. That\u2019s prompted speculation the country is making contingency plans to host Palestinians fleeing the conflict \u2014 something Egyptian officials strenuously denied over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The head of the State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, repeated Egypt\u2019s complete rejection of any \u201cforced or voluntary\u201d displacement of Palestinians from their land. \u201cEgypt will never be part of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Foreign Ministry Sameh Shoukry echoed those comments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not preparing anything on our side of the border \u2014 whatever is happening is the ordinary maintenance of our border and our border fortifications,\u201d he told Sky News. \u201cIt is in no way related to providing any camps or shelter on our side of the border.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. and European Union have designated Hamas a terrorist organization. The conduct of the war, which apart from the civilian causalities has also destroyed thousands of homes and triggered shortages of food and water, has led some countries to allege that Israel is committing war crimes. <\/p>\n
Those charges are strongly denied by Israeli authorities. <\/p>\n
Read more: Israel Summons Brazil Ambassador After Lula\u2019s Comments on Gaza<\/p>\n
Netanyahu expressed outrage Sunday at remarks by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who said Israel was carrying out genocide in Gaza and compared Israel\u2019s actions to Adolf Hitler\u2019s policy of murdering Jews. <\/p>\n
\u201cComparing Israel to the Nazi Holocaust and Hitler is crossing a red line,\u201d Netanyahu said.<\/p>\n
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