Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his determination to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost town, despite mounting international warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe. In an interview with ABC News aired on Sunday, Netanyahu stated, 'We're going to do it,' referring to the military operation against Hamas battalions he described as the 'last bastion'. He claimed Israel would provide safe passage for the 1.3 million displaced Palestinians sheltering there, though no detailed plan has been presented.
Rafah has become the last refuge for over half of Gaza's 2.3 million population as Israeli forces have expanded operations southwards. The planned assault has drawn fierce criticism from allies and aid agencies alike. The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden told Netanyahu in a phone call that a military operation 'should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for' civilians. The German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, posted on X: 'The people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air.'
Hamas warned that a new advance into Rafah would 'blow up' ongoing hostage negotiations for a ceasefire. The Gaza health ministry reported that 28,176 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, with 67,784 injured. Netanyahu cast doubt on these figures, describing them as 'Hamas statistics'. The war was triggered by Hamas's attack on 7 October, which killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 taken hostage.
The UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, expressed being 'deeply concerned', urging 'an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out'. Labour leader Keir Starmer called an Israeli offensive in Rafah 'catastrophic' and demanded a sustainable ceasefire. The EU's Josep Borrell warned of 'unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt', while Saudi Arabia called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting.
Netanyahu pushed back against concerns, telling ABC: 'Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying lose the war, keep Hamas there.' He insisted Israel is 'working out a detailed plan' for civilian evacuation, though none has been publicly disclosed. The Israeli Defense Forces said they killed two 'senior Hamas operatives' in a strike on Rafah on Saturday.
