Israel will launch an operation in Rafah next month if Hamas fails to release hostages held in the Gaza Strip before the start of Ramadan, which is scheduled to begin on March 10.
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| Palestinians displaced from Khan Yunis set up camp in Rafah, on the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, on December 7, 2023. (Source: AFP) |
The Turkish news agency Anadolu said the announcement was made by Benny Gantz - a member of the wartime Cabinet formed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the conflict with Hamas - at a conference of American Jewish leaders held on February 18 in Jerusalem.
Previously, the Israeli government announced plans to launch a military campaign in the border city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt, but has not set a specific time.
On the evening of February 17, in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference, once again affirming his determination to go through with the plan to attack Rafah, stating: "Those who want to prevent us from carrying out this campaign are basically saying: Accept defeat."
However, this plan of Israel has caused concern around the world. Many countries including the US, UK and Western allies have warned Israel that attacking Rafah at this time would be a disaster and called for a pause in the campaign.
Rafah, a city bordering Egypt, is home to an estimated 1.4 million Palestinian refugees, two-thirds of the entire Gaza Strip's population. It is also the last refuge for Gaza's residents.
Before the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, Rafah had about 260,000 people living in an area of about 65 km², one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
Even before the attack, the situation is dire. Many live in makeshift tents made from whatever materials they can find. The crowded living conditions are causing hepatitis A to spread rapidly. Aid agencies have warned of a “humanitarian nightmare” of famine and disease.
Although Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged to establish safe corridors for evacuation, it is still unclear where civilians can safely move to in the Gaza Strip.
In fact, there have been many opinions that the Gaza Strip has “no safe place” for people to evacuate. In terms of geographical location, the south of Rafah is bordered by Egypt, and the east is bordered by Israel.
To the west is the Mediterranean, where there is the al-Mawasi refugee camp, where tens of thousands of people are camping in a narrow coastal desert, with no infrastructure and no supplies for basic needs.
Cities further north in the Gaza Strip are uninhabitable as most of their infrastructure has been destroyed.
Fighting continues in the central region, with the United Nations warning that an attack on Rafah could cause “a massacre with incalculable consequences”.
Meanwhile, efforts to negotiate a ceasefire have dragged on for weeks without a deal, with Qatar’s chief mediator admitting over the weekend that prospects were dimming.
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