Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that the military operation planned for Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, would proceed, positioning Israel “weeks away” from achieving a “complete victory,” as reported by the French Press Agency.
In an interview with CBS, Netanyahu remarked, “Should an agreement be reached, the operation will be somewhat delayed, but it will still occur. It must happen because our goal is a complete victory, and it’s within reach, not in months, but weeks once we initiate the operation.”
He further commented on the potential for a deal, stating, “I cannot confirm if we will finalize it, but if Hamas moderates its fantastical demands to realistic ones, we will make the progress we all desire.”
This statement comes amidst reports from Egyptian media that ceasefire negotiations in Gaza have resumed in Doha.
An Israeli delegation recently visited Paris to discuss a new ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. These talks have continued in Doha with representatives from Hamas.
During Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, approximately 250 hostages were taken to Gaza, with 130 still believed to be in the enclave, 31 of whom are presumed dead by Israel.
Similar to the previous week-long ceasefire in November, which saw the release of over 100 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners, efforts for a new agreement are being led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
International pressure for a ceasefire has been mounting in recent weeks as the death toll from the Israeli military offensive in the Palestinian enclave nears 30,000, with the majority being women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, in response to its attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,160 people, predominantly civilians.
