The US proposes alternatives to a ground offensive in Rafah. But Netanyahu cannot be dissuaded from his plan. When the offensive will start remains unclear. The news at a glance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said preparations for an offensive in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip “will take some time.” In a video speech, the head of government said he had told US President Joe Biden in their last phone call: “It is impossible to complete the victory without the Israeli army entering Rafah to eliminate the remnants of Hamas battalions .” Netanyahu reiterated that he had already approved the army’s operational plan for Rafah, “and soon we will also approve the plan to evacuate civilians from the combat areas,” he said.
Regarding his relationship with Biden, Netanyahu said: “At the beginning we agreed that Hamas must be destroyed. But during the war – this is no secret – there were differences of opinion between us about the best way to achieve this goal.”
In the conversation with Biden, he agreed to his request to send a delegation to Washington in the coming days. According to media reports, the USA intends to present alternatives to a ground offensive there. The president had asked “to present to us proposals from his side in the humanitarian area and also on other issues,” said Netanyahu. The USA is against Israel’s deployment in Rafah.
Sometimes Israel agrees with its allies and sometimes not, said the head of government. “In the end, we have always done what is essential for our safety, and we will do that this time too.”
In Rafah, it is estimated that 1.5 million of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents are currently seeking shelter in a small area from the fighting in other parts of the coastal area. The border crossing with Egypt, through which aid deliveries reach the Gaza Strip, is also located in Rafah. Aid organizations warned of serious consequences.
Israel: Killed senior Hamas members
Israel’s army says it has killed three high-ranking members of the Islamist Hamas in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The military said they were representatives of the Hamas leadership in the city in the south of the coastal area. The men were killed in air strikes on Monday. They were heads of Hamas’s so-called emergency office, which, according to Israeli media, is responsible, among other things, for maintaining public order in the Gaza Strip. According to the army, the men were also responsible for coordinating the Islamist organization’s activities on site. The information could not initially be independently verified. Hamas did not initially confirm the deaths of the three men.
According to the Israeli army, another high-ranking Hamas member was also said to have been killed last week. The man is said to have led Islamist operations in the area. This information could not initially be independently verified. Hamas typically does not comment on members who are killed.
Canada announces arms ban
According to Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, Canada does not want to approve any new arms exports to Israel for the time being. It is more than a symbolic decision, said the North American country’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, to the Toronto Star newspaper. “It’s something tangible.” The Canadian House of Commons had previously passed a corresponding motion. Although this is not binding, it reflects the government’s intention, said Joly.
“Canada has one of the strictest export approval procedures in the world,” said a statement from the Foreign Ministry to the German Press Agency. There are currently no open approvals for arms deliveries to Israel. All permits issued between October 7th and January 8th were shared with Parliament.
“Since January 8, the government has not issued any new arms export permits to Israel and this will continue until we can ensure full compliance with our export procedures,” it said. However, permits issued before January 8th remained valid. “Given the nature of supply chains, suspending all outstanding authorizations would have significant consequences for both Canada and its allies.” Details still need to be clarified, wrote the Toronto Star. This depends on how far-reaching the plans are. The Foreign Minister has the power to decide on the export of military goods.
Hardened fronts in negotiations for a ceasefire
However, in the negotiations conducted through mediators Qatar, Egypt and the USA, the goals of Israel and Hamas currently appear impossible to reconcile, the Wall Street Journal reported. While Israel insists on continuing the war after a cease-fire with the aim of destroying Hamas, Hamas is essentially negotiating for its survival and pushing for a permanent ceasefire and opportunities to remain influential, if no longer as ruler, in post-war Gaza .
The mediators see the ongoing talks as the last chance to reach a ceasefire before Israel’s Rafah offensive occurs, it said. Any attack on Rafah would hamper efforts to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of more hostages, a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman warned.
USA wants to avoid massive casualties among civilians in Rafah
“We’re not just saying, ‘No, you can’t do that. We’re saying we’re willing to work with you on viable alternatives that still help you achieve your goals,” the Times of Israel quoted one as saying senior US officials. US opposition to a major ground offensive in Rafah does not mean that Washington opposes more targeted operations against the Hamas leadership in Rafah or elsewhere, it said. The US’s alternative plans are also aimed at this goal.
One approach could therefore be for Israel to concentrate on preventing arms smuggling from Egypt to Gaza through the so-called Philadelphia Corridor instead of a ground offensive. Building infrastructure to interrupt the smuggling route is more important to destroying Hamas than a major ground offensive in Rafah. “If Israel invades Rafah, with all the civilian casualties that would entail, cooperating with Egypt to close the corridor will become much more difficult,” it said.
The news portal “Axios” had also previously reported on this option being considered by Washington, citing US officials. Another idea is to postpone a military operation in Rafah and concentrate on stabilizing the humanitarian situation in the north of the sealed-off coastal area, the news portal reported on Tuesday. According to the United Nations, there is a risk of famine there.
This option would also include building shelters for civilians to be evacuated from Rafah, Axios reported. The aim is to reduce the potential for massive civilian casualties in an invasion of Rafah. Rafah is considered the last major city in the sealed-off Gaza Strip that was not heavily destroyed. Any kind of operation in Rafah would require a much more stable humanitarian situation in the coastal area, the Times of Israel newspaper also reported, citing a US official.
Operation in Shifa clinic continues – 90 terrorists dead
Israel’s army says it is continuing its operations at Shifa Hospital in the city of Gaza. “So far, troops have killed about 90 terrorists in the area,” the military said. In addition, emergency services arrested 160 suspects and brought them to Israel for further questioning, the army said in a statement. 300 people were also interviewed on site.
Israeli troops moved into the largest clinic in the Gaza Strip again on Monday night to, according to their own statements, take action against Hamas and its infrastructure. According to the army, two Israeli soldiers have been killed in the operation so far.
Scholz calls for a ceasefire
Chancellor Olaf Scholz continues to push for a longer-term ceasefire in the Gaza war and for more humanitarian aid. “What must now happen as quickly as possible is a somewhat longer-lasting ceasefire in which the hostages are released and those who died are released so that dignified mourning is possible for their relatives,” said the SPD politician in a government statement in the Bundestag. During this time, more humanitarian aid must reach Gaza.
“I don’t want to give false hope here,” said Scholz. “But I have the impression that it’s more realistic at the moment than it has been for a long time, which is still a long way from being successful.”
The aim of the German Bundestag, the European Union, the USA and many others is the prospect of a two-state solution, emphasized the Chancellor. “It must now become clear how there can be a future for a peaceful coexistence between Israel and a Palestinian state.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
