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Israel’s prime minister vowed on Tuesday to press ahead with an offensive in the Gaza Strip town of Rafah regardless of whether or not there is a ceasefire deal with Hamas, as he held urgent talks with ministers and diplomats about the possible deal.
“The idea that we end the war before we have achieved all of its objectives is out of the question,” Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of fallen soldiers and hostages. “We will invade Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there, with or without a deal, to achieve total victory.”
Israel has long threatened to attack the Palestinian militant group’s last stronghold in the Gaza Strip, where at least a million people have sought refuge. But a ceasefire proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar – which would halt fighting in Gaza for an initial six weeks in return for the release of 33 Israeli hostages – would likely result in a delay in the attack.
Negotiators have been hoping for a breakthrough in recent days after Israel appeared to soften its stance on key terms that had previously stalled negotiations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for key talks on the potential deal, said Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that Hamas has “presented a proposal that is extraordinarily generous on Israel’s part.” “.
However, far-right politicians in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition have threatened to topple the government if the war in Gaza ends, posing a significant obstacle to any agreement.
Netanyahu held an urgent meeting on Tuesday with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who in recent days, along with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, opposed the recent hostage ceasefire proposal.
After the meeting, Ben-Gvir said in a video recorded by the prime minister’s office that he had “warned” the longtime leader of the consequences if he did not advance to Rafah and end the war, as part of what he called a “reckless deal.” “designated”.
“I think the Prime Minister understands very well what [that] will mean,” Ben-Gvir added.
Both Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party and Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power have enabled Netanyahu’s right-wing ruling coalition to remain in power. Her resignation would mean the government’s loss of its parliamentary majority and could force the country to hold early elections, analysts said.
Smotrich threatened on Sunday that “a government led by you will have no right to exist” if Netanyahu backs down from a Rafah offensive and fails to eliminate Hamas.
Under the future deal, Israel would also likely have to further withdraw its forces from Gaza, allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in the northern part of the devastated territory and agree to the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
To put more pressure on the longtime prime minister, another member of the coalition, Benny Gantz, issued his own opposite ultimatum on Sunday, warning Netanyahu that the fate of the 133 hostages still being held by Hamas takes precedence should have deployment in Rafah.
“If a responsible proposal for the return of the hostages is reached. . . which does not mean the end of the war, and [Netanyahu’s other ministers] If we prevent this, the government will not have the right to continue to exist and run the campaign [against Hamas]” Gantz, a centrist politician and former army chief, wrote on X on Sunday.