Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that a date has been set for the Israeli military’s invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, an operation that he considers crucial to eliminating Hamas’s control over the territory.
“Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo. We are constantly working to achieve our goals, first and foremost the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas,” Netanyahu said in a video message on X.
“This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there,” he added. “It will happen, there is a date.”
Amid the heavy casualties in Gaza, President Biden has warned Netanyahu not to proceed with the invasion. In March, Biden said Israel would be crossing a “red line” if it goes ahead with an attack on the densely populated area. More than 1 million Palestinians have been displaced in Rafah amid the Israel–Hamas war, which was sparked after Hamas’s brutal onslaught against Israel on October 7. While Israel says it has killed thousands of Hamas terrorists, it argues that those who remain are being harbored in Rafah.
“We’ll go there. We’re not going to leave them,” Netanyahu told Politico of Israel’s plans to move forces into Rafah. “You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is? That October 7 doesn’t happen again. Never happens again.”
In an interview with ABC News, Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that she had “studied the maps” and decided that Israel’s plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah wasn’t feasible, suggesting there could be “consequences” for Israel if it moves ahead.
Last week, Biden implored Netanyahu to agree to an “immediate cease-fire” agreement with Hamas as well as other action to minimize civilian casualties; continued U.S. aid for Israel may be contingent on such steps. His demand came after an IDF strike killed seven aid workers of the World Central Kitchen who were distributing food in Gaza, an incident that was an accident, according to Netanyahu.
The Israeli military said Sunday that it has withdrawn most troops, specifically its 98th commando division from southern Gaza “to recuperate and prepare for future operations,” with the exception of one brigade. It left behind the Nahal brigade and the 162nd division, a still significant military presence that will continue to “operate in the Gaza Strip, and will preserve the IDF’s freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence based operations.”