Telling Israel not to enter basically means losing war: Netanyahu
Criticising the calls for Israel to avoid carrying out a military offensive inside Rafah in the interview with ABC that will be aired later today, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu (ANI)
TEL AVIV: Over calls from global leaders over military operations in Rafah, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that those who are trying to tell Israel not to enter Rafah want to keep Hamas there, The Jerusalem Post reported.
He said that Israel, no matter what, will get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah.
In an interview with a US-based broadcaster, Netanyahu said, "Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are saying, lose the war, keep Hamas there."
"We're going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah, but we're going to do it, and in this, I agree with the Americans, while providing safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave," he emphasised.
"Victory is within reach," Netanyahu said, criticising the calls for Israel to avoid carrying out a military offensive inside Rafah in the interview with ABC that will be aired later today, according to The Jerusalem Post.
"It's part of our war effort to get civilians out of harm's way; it's part of Hamas's effort to keep them in harm's way," he noted.
Nearly a million Palestinians have fled to Gaza's southernmost city as a result of the months-long conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas, which started on October 7 with a catastrophic assault in southern Israel.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to chalk out plan for the evacuation of the population from Rafah, his office said on Friday in a statement, ahead of an anticipated ground offensive there, according to CNN.
Rafah, a southern Gaza city, currently houses more than 1.3 million people. The majority of the people, who are living there are basically evacuees from other parts of Gaza, according to the United Nations.
Netanyahu, on Thursday said that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will "soon go into Rafah, Hamas's last bastion."
As the IDF's operations progressed south into Gaza, many Palestinians fled the territory and sought safety in the city. However, it is unclear where they will travel next; the city borders Egypt to the south, but the border into the nation has been closed for months.
Notably, the war between Israel and Hamas began after the latter launched an attack on the former on October 7, where around 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 taken hostage.
Israel then launched a counterattack on Hamas and vowed to eliminate the terrorist group.
In the latest development in the ongoing war, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said last week that IDF soldiers operated within a compound in Khan Younis and located AK-47 rifles, ammunition, military equipment, and technological assets.
