Israel sets a timetable of March for the Gaza ground offensive in Rafah.
For the first time, Israel has stated when it would send troops into the congested southern metropolis of Gaza. Around 1.5 million Palestinians are seeking refuge in Rafah, and there is mounting international opposition to such an attack.
Prior to this, the UN public health organization announced that an Israeli raid had caused a major hospital in Gaza to close. On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stormed the complex after receiving intelligence that Hamas was holding captives inside.
The IDF accused Hamas of cynically using hospitals for terror and characterized its operation in Nasser as precise and limited.
The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know – if by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue everywhere, to include the Rafah area, said Mr. Gants, a former minister of defense, in a Sunday speech. This year, on March 10th, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins.
In order to minimize civilian losses, Mr. Gintz stated that Israel would respond in a coordinated manner, facilitating the evacuation of civilians in dialogue with our American and Egyptian partners.
The leading security officers in Israel make up the war cabinet. It was established a few days after terrorists led by Hamas stormed Israel on October 7th, leaving at least 1,200 dead and capturing 253 prisoners. Israel believes that roughly 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza by Hamas.
According to the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams, Mr. Gintz’s mention of Egypt may serve to fuel rumors that Israel hopes some Palestinians will flee the Gaza Strip and take refuge on the Egyptian side of the border, where the government appears to be erecting a sizable walled enclosure specifically for this purpose.
