Israel Edges Closer to Rafah Invasion, Defense Minister Hints
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – During a Wednesday visit to the Gaza Strip, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that a military operation by the Israel Defense Forces targeting Hamas units in Rafah will happen “soon.”
On Wednesday morning, Gallant entered the Gaza Strip with forces from the IDF’s 162nd Division, warning, “those who think we are delaying [the invasion of Rafah] will soon see that there is no place we cannot reach. Our forces can reach any place, and the conclusion is that there is no safe haven for terrorists in Gaza,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, Gallant declared, “We will bring every single person involved in the October 7 massacre to justice – we will either kill them or try them in Israel. There is no safe space, not here, not outside Gaza, not across the entire Middle East.”
Over the weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that an Israeli incursion into Rafah would constitute a ‘red line,’ however Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu countered by saying that not taking action in Rafah would be equivalent to insisting that Israel concede defeat to terrorists.
It is believed that many of the 134 hostages still detained by Hamas in Gaza, after 159 days, are being held in the group’s stronghold near the Egyptian border.
According to Politico, citing officials in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden is contemplating the idea of making military aid to Israel conditional, should Jerusalem proceed with its plans to invade Rafah.
Washington’s primary worry conveyed to the Israeli government revolves around the one million displaced Palestinians who are currently in Rafah.
Last month, Israel proposed a civilian evacuation plan for Rafah, outlining the establishment of 15 campsites, each capable of accommodating approximately 25,000 tents (totalling 375,000 tents), where displaced individuals from Gaza would be relocated.
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