Netanyahu vows to withdraw civilians from Rafah before attacking Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli military is preparing to withdraw more than a million Palestinian civilians from the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, provide them with the necessary assistance, and then attack the remaining Hamas combat battalions.
This was reported by Bloomberg.
"It’s the right thing to do operationally and internationally. It takes time, but it will be done," Netanyahu said at a press conference on Sunday evening.
Responding to accusations in Israel that he is not focused enough on the release of the hostages, the prime minister said: "Whoever says that is wrong and misleading you".
Israeli forces now dominate northern Gaza. One of Hamas' demands is that civilians and fighters be allowed to return to their homes in the north. Netanyahu said that this could not be accepted because of "significant security implications" that he refused to list.
He said that the US has ideas on how to help civilians in Rafah and limit casualties, and he is ready to listen to them.
As a reminder, the Israeli army is planning to launch a ground invasion of Rafah near the border with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. This is the last settlement under the control of the Palestinian Hamas movement.
