If the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are not released by the start of Ramadan next month, Israel will begin its long-awaited offensive in Rafah. Opposition leader Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, said this on Sunday. According to Israel, Hamas is still holding about 130 people hostage.
“The world needs to know, and Hamas leaders need to know: If our hostages are not home by Ramadan, the fighting will continue everywhere, including the Rafah area,” Gantz told a conference of American Jewish leaders on Sunday. Jerusalem.
Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, starts on March 10. The Israeli government had so far not announced a deadline for the planned attack on the city, where the majority of the 1.7 million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge.
Out of concern about a large number of additional civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, foreign governments and aid organizations are asking Israel to spare Rafah. It is the last major city in Gaza not to be invaded by ground forces.
Despite mounting international pressure, including a direct appeal from US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war cannot be won without attacking Rafah. (AP)
AFP – Palestinian boys at a food stall in front of a building damaged by Israeli airstrikes in Rafah.
2024-02-19 07:52:04
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