The army begins to draw up a plan that would make the special operation possible at the same time as international pressure to end hostilities is intense.
In its war plan, Israel has advanced to the stage where it considers that the ground attack must proceed to the southern parts of the Gaza Strip next.
This is what the Prime Minister is talking about Benjamin Netanyahu Friday order. According to it, the army must draw up a plan to evacuate the civilians who have sought refuge from the war in Rafah and southern Gaza and to eliminate any remaining fighters of the extremist organization Hamas in the area.
Israel already bombed targets in Rafah early Friday morning. According to the AP news agency, 13 people died.
President of the United States Joe Biden said Thursday that Israel’s response to the terrorist organization’s October attack is already too much. He also said he would work tirelessly to get the terrorist organization and Israel to reach an agreement on an extended ceasefire and the release of hostages taken by Hamas.
Hamas has demanded that Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and end the war. Israel has not agreed to the organization’s demands.
Hamas is believed to still be holding dozens of hostages it took in its attack on Israel on the seventh of October last fall.
Spokesman for the US National Security Council John Kirby said Thursday that the United States would not support a possible Israeli ground attack on Rafah.
There are up to two million civilians in Rafah. Despite this, Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeated several times that Rafah is the army’s next target.
Israel’s goal to destroy Hamas from the Gaza Strip does not seem to have been 100% successful, at least not yet in the north, as there are still signs of the organization’s activities in some places.
Sources: AP, Reuters