Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his commitment to eliminate Hamas brigades, including those in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, brushing off warnings from the United States about potential consequences.
Netanyahu said, "Israel will complete the elimination of Hamas' brigades, including in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and nothing will prevent this." He emphasized, "There is no force in the world that will stop us. There are many forces that are trying to do so, but it will not help, since this enemy, after what it did, will never do it again."
Reacting to Netanyahu's statement, the US cautioned against an invasion of Rafah, labeling it as a 'mistake' and urging for a credible plan to protect civilians. Rafah is home to around 1.4 million Palestinians, many of whom have been displaced from other parts of the war-torn Strip.
Netanyahu remained resolute, declaring, "It will happen. There is a date," without providing further details.
Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned Netanyahu about the potential repercussions of attacking Rafah in the Gaza Strip. "We share Israel's goal of defeating Hamas, though, a major military ground operation in Rafah is not the way to do it," Blinken stated during a one-on-one interaction with reporters in Tel Aviv.
He added, "It risks killing more civilians, it risks wreaking greater havoc on the provision of humanitarian assistance, it risks further isolating Israel around the world and jeopardizing its long-term security and standing."
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