Despite pressure from all sides, Tel Aviv is determined to do this; Germany warns of dire consequences

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on March 17 that the country's military would pursue its planned ground offensive in the southern Gaza City of Rafah, which has raised concerns about high civilian casualties.

Xung đột Israel-Hamas: Bất chấp sức ép tứ bề, Tel Aviv vẫn quyết tâm làm điều này; Đức cảnh báo hậu quả khốc liệt

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Source: AFP)

In a video recording of an Israeli cabinet meeting released by Prime Minister Netanyahu's office, the leader asserted: "No international pressure can stop us from achieving all the goals of this war… To fulfill that resolve, we will also advance towards Rafah."

Meanwhile, speaking after a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba on March 17, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz predicted that the large number of civilian casualties resulting from Israel's offensive on the city of Rafah in Gaza would make regional peace "very difficult."

According to the German Chancellor, this is one of the points he will bring to his talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu later that day during his whirlwind trip to the Middle East.

Scholz stated: “Right now, the topic is ensuring we move toward a lasting ceasefire. That goal allows us to prevent such an offensive from taking place.”

When asked about the possibility of pressuring Prime Minister Netanyahu to stop the Rafah offensive, the German leader stated: “We must do everything to prevent the situation from getting worse… Israel has the right to self-defense… At the same time, we cannot allow those displaced from Gaza to Rafah to be directly threatened by the military actions and operations being carried out there.”

However, Chancellor Scholz did not directly answer the question about Berlin's response in the event of a large-scale Rafah offensive, such as through measures like banning German arms exports to Israel. Germany, along with the United States, is one of Israel's most reliable allies.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Scholz affirmed that his meeting with King Abdullah II once again highlighted the importance of all negotiations to achieve a long-term prospect for a peaceful coexistence between Israel and the State of Palestine.

(according to AFP)

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