The Israeli particular forces operation that navy officers mentioned freed two hostages early Monday in Rafah was accompanied by a wave of airstrikes that left dozens of Palestinians useless, based on Gazan well being officers. The strikes pointed to the challenges going through Israel ought to its floor forces invade the crowded southern Gaza metropolis.
Israeli leaders have framed an invasion of Rafah as an crucial to attain their purpose of eliminating Hamas. But the planning for such an operation, in a metropolis the place greater than 1 million Palestinians have sought shelter, is fraught with complexity and can probably take a while, based on Israeli officers and analysts.
A serious problem for Israeli forces can be how you can transfer civilians who’ve crowded into the town out of hurt’s manner. Many Gazans fled to Rafah on the directions of the Israeli navy to keep away from the combating farther north in Gaza, and a refrain of worldwide leaders have expressed considerations that the folks there have nowhere to go.
The prospect of an assault on Rafah is creating tensions with Egypt, which fears a destabilizing inflow of Palestinian refugees throughout its border. Egypt is a vital strategic associate for Israel within the area and has performed a key function in negotiations aimed toward securing the discharge of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
And it has added to divisions with the United States, with President Biden warning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in a telephone name on Sunday {that a} floor offensive in Rafah should embody a plan to guard civilians.
The Biden administration has additionally raised concern over combating through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, based on two Israeli officers with information of the discussions. An assault throughout Ramadan — which is predicted to begin March 10, although the timing is dependent upon the sighting of the moon over Mecca — may very well be seen as significantly provocative to Muslims within the area and past.
Israeli officers say the navy remains to be engaged on its plans for invading Rafah and that they haven’t but been introduced to Mr. Netanyahu. In the meantime, some have struck a defiant tone concerning the anticipated assault on a metropolis that officers have known as the final Hamas stronghold in Gaza.
“The operation in Rafah will happen,” Avi Dichter, a minister from Mr. Netanyahu’s conservative Likud celebration, instructed Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, on Sunday. “It will begin and it will end, just like in other places,” he mentioned.
He additionally dismissed the concept Ramadan ought to pose any constraints. “Ramadan is not a month without wars — it never was,” he mentioned, noting that Egypt went to warfare in opposition to Israel in 1973 through the holy month.
Yaakov Amidror, a former common and nationwide safety adviser, mentioned that Israeli officers perceive that “Rafah is a complex issue.” But he described an invasion as essential to destroy the Hamas battalions remaining within the metropolis, so as to fulfill Israel’s warfare objectives of dismantling Hamas’s navy capabilities and its capability to control Gaza.
“It is not imminent,” he mentioned of the operation, “but it will have to be done.”
Doing so with out evacuating civilians can be “almost impossible,” he added, which suggests civilians in Rafah would must be moved. Mr. Netanyahu mentioned in an interview with ABC News aired Sunday that Israel was “working out a detailed plan” to take action, though he didn’t present particulars.
Mr. Dichter instructed that Gazans may very well be moved to an space west of Rafah alongside the seashore. Mr. Amidror instructed different choices, together with some areas of central Gaza the place the navy has not but operated, or the close by metropolis of Khan Younis, as soon as Israel winds down its marketing campaign there.
Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/12/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news
