Former Israeli Defense Minister and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz emphasized again this Friday that if Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages it holds in its possession in Gaza, Israel will expand its war to Rafahwhere 1.4 million Palestinian civilians live overcrowded.
«If the hostages are not returned we will expand the war to Rafah. “We are preparing for this, working in collaboration with our partners, including Egypt.”said Gantz, in statements reported by several local media.
Likewise, he insisted that Hamas members will not have any city in which to take refuge and pointed out that “even with the approach of the month of Ramadan the fire will continue.”
However, Gantz assured that the population of Rafah will be evacuated to safe areas before the start of the operation.
In this sense, the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, declared in a press conference that “the State of Israel has no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt. “We respect and value our peace agreement with Egypt, which is a cornerstone of stability in the region as well as an important partner.”
These statements coincide with a wave of international rejection of Israeli plans to invade Rafah with its troops.
Today, the Secretary General of the UN, António Guterreswarned at the Munich Security Conference (Germany), where the Israeli president participates, Issac Erzogand the Foreign Minister, Israel Katzagain that a ground military offensive by the Israeli Army in Rafah would be devastating for the displaced Gazans.
“An all-out offensive against the city would be devastating for Palestinian civilians who are already on the brink of survival”pointed out the Portuguese.
Guterres stressed that the humanitarian aid operation in Gaza is “on life support, it is barely functioning.”
“Humanitarian workers work in unimaginable conditions, including live fire, multiple physical obstacles and Israeli restrictions,” he denounced.
And “Rafah is at the center of the entire humanitarian aid operation,” emphasized the UN Secretary General.
Guterres reiterated that “nothing can justify the excessive attacks” launched by Hamas on October 7.
But “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people” in the Israeli Army’s response either, he added. EFE (I)
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