Despite ongoing negotiations and mediator efforts to reach an agreement between Hamas and Israel regarding prisoner exchanges and a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu persists in his intention to enter the city of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas stated in a Monday statement that Netanyahu’s determination to infiltrate the city, crowded with displaced people, defies all international calls and positions warning against a military operation in Rafah.
They also added that Netanyahu continues to use religious rhetoric to achieve his political goals by escalating the war in Gaza.
In a religious meeting with members of the Erez battalion of the military police, Netanyahu compared the current situation in Gaza to the past, referencing the story of Purim and the defeat of Haman, whom he likened to the Iranian regime seeking the removal of the Jews. He further emphasized the necessity of victory over absolute evil, stating that just as in the past, they will unite, fight, and triumph, vowing to achieve absolute victory in Rafah.
It’s worth noting that many Western and Arab countries, as well as international organizations, have repeatedly warned of a humanitarian catastrophe if Israeli forces invade Rafah, especially considering that the city is home to around 1.4 million Palestinian refugees with no safe haven to turn to.
