A view of a makeshift camp in Rafah (Telgram - "Rak Neto Chadashot")

Israel Poised To Begin Rafah Operation, Despite U.S. Objections

Details
The Judean Staff
National

As regional tensions with Iran begin to ease, Israel is preparing to intensify its military operations in Gaza, specifically targeting Hamas's stronghold in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians are currently sheltering. Despite warnings from the U.S. about potential widespread civilian casualties and disruption to humanitarian aid, Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are resolute. Netanyahu, during a Passover holiday message, emphasized the necessity of increased military and diplomatic pressures to secure the release of hostages and achieve victory over Hamas.

Recent Israeli airstrikes in Rafah have resulted in significant casualties, with the Palestinian Authority which has no presence in Gaza and has been unreliable in their reporting of deaths in the past, reporting the majority of the deaths as women and children. In response, Israel has mobilized additional military reserves for operations in Gaza, indicating a planned evacuation of civilians to safer zones within the Gaza Strip, such as Khan Younis. These areas will be equipped with emergency shelters, food distribution centers, and medical facilities.

The evacuation, expected to last two to three weeks, will involve coordination with the U.S., Egypt, and other regional partners. This strategic move aims to mitigate civilian casualties while targeting Hamas’s remaining forces and leadership in Rafah. Israel asserts the necessity of this operation to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities, especially given the group's status as a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and their role in the deadly attacks on October 7, which marked the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

The international community has expressed deep concern over the humanitarian implications of Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, according to Palestinian health officials. The U.S. has particularly emphasized the risks to civilians, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that a large-scale military operation in Rafah could be disastrous for those remaining in the city.

To aid the humanitarian situation, the U.S. plans to construct a temporary floating pier on Gaza’s coast to facilitate the delivery of emergency supplies. Meanwhile, the majority of aid continues to flow through Rafah, where most U.N. agencies and operational medical facilities are based.

Amidst these developments, regional instability persists with recent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, underscoring the volatile security environment. The potential incursion into Rafah not only threatens to exacerbate tensions with key international allies but also poses significant risks to Israel’s strategic interests and its relationship with the U.S.

As the situation develops, the people of Rafah face grave uncertainty, with many like 22-year-old Hazer Ghanem preparing for the possibility of fleeing their homes amid fears of an imminent ground invasion. The operation's timing and the broader implications of escalating military actions continue to be a source of anxiety for all involved.

Meanwhile, in advance of the expected Rafah invasion, a high-ranking Hamas source recently disputed claims that the organization might release fewer than 20 hostages in the initial stage of a potential truce with Israel, according to reports. Contrary to these suggestions, previous discussions indicated the possibility of releasing 40 living Israeli hostages in the early phase of a ceasefire agreement being negotiated in Cairo.

This source, cited by the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, also refuted reports suggesting that fewer than 20 hostages remain alive, stating that at least 30 are high-ranking members of Israeli security forces. It should be noted, however, that currently, no high-ranking Israelis are held by Hamas, except for one high-ranking officer, Colonel Asaf Hamami, who was killed on October 7th and his body taken into Gaza in expectation of trading his remains for live prisoners. Hamas categorizes all Israeli males aged 18 to 50 as security forces members, regardless of whether or not they have served in the IDF or Israel Police.

The source emphasized the difficulty in confirming the exact number of living captives but insisted it surpasses the figures reported by Hebrew media. The claims of holding about 30 "generals and Shin Bet officers" from an incident on October 7 were declared, noting they are detained in highly secure locations inaccessible to outsiders.

Moreover, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, reportedly emerged from months of concealment in tunnels to review the sites of clashes with the IDF and to engage in discussions with Hamas's international leaders, providing updates on the organization’s resilience.

In another conversation, Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya spoke with Dubai-based Asharq News, noting a "flexibility" in the Cairo discussions. He mentioned a reduction in the ratio of Palestinian prisoners demanded for each Israeli “soldier” from 500 to 50.

Al-Hayya also remarked on the potential for establishing a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, encompassing the West Bank and Gaza, inclusive of the return of Palestinian refugees. He clarified, however, that such an agreement would be temporary and reaffirmed the Palestinians' "historic right to all Palestinian lands."

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