After a month and a half since the Israeli army launched its “military operation” in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the operation in Rafah would conclude, marking the transition to the third phase of the war.
Reports indicate that Netanyahu will announce in the coming days the nearing conclusion of Israeli army operations in Rafah, shifting Israel’s focus to the third phase of the war, as reported by Channel 13 on Sunday.
“A War That Will Not End”
A senior Israeli official told Channel 13, “Activity will continue with airstrikes and bombings. The war will not end. We will move wherever there is intelligence on Hamas activity.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu conducted security assessments for the military campaign in Rafah, expected to conclude this month. Defense Minister Yoav Galant and IDF Chief of Staff Hertzl Halevi participated in the discussions, which also addressed comprehensive war strategies in Gaza and “continuing military pressure on Hamas.”
The evaluation of “Operation Rafah” was also conducted by Galant, who noted, “Time is actually working against them, not in their favor.”
Galant mentioned the Israeli army’s seizure last month of the strategic Philadelphia Corridor bordering Gaza and Egypt, along with the closure of tunnels beneath it, according to the Jerusalem Post.
He added, “The result is they have nowhere to arm themselves, nowhere to prepare themselves, no means to bring in reinforcements, and no way to care for their casualties.”
He further stated, “Hamas is exhausted and unable to recover, while we are reaching places we never dreamed of reaching.” He continued, “We will continue until Hamas cannot rebuild its strength.”
It is worth noting that Israel took control on May 7 of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, before its tanks later penetrated into the heart of the city filled with Palestinian refugees, despite international warnings.
