Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (30) that the Israeli Army will enter Rafah “with or without an agreement” for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The city borders Egypt, but the Palestinians are prohibited from crossing control border.
“The idea that we stop the war before achieving all our objectives is out of the question. We will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without an agreement, to achieve complete victory,” he wrote the premier on his social networks.
The proposal includes a ceasefire in exchange for the return of around 130 hostages still held by Hamas. However, the two parties still disagree about the pause in bombings: Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire that leads to a gradual end to the war, while Israel accepts only a temporary lull in attacks.
This Tuesday, the Commissioner General of the UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said he thinks that, if there is no agreement this week, entry into Rafah could take place in the next few days.
“People have not yet been evacuated from Rafah, but there is a feeling that if there is no agreement this week, this could happen at any time,” said Lazzarini.
Israel signals that invasion of Rafah is imminent
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