Hamas should not bet on international pressure, wanting to "talk" with the US about the Rafah attack

On March 27, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message to the Hamas movement after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution demanded an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Source: AP)

Reuters quoted Netanyahu as saying that the cancellation of a planned visit by a high-level Israeli delegation to the United States this week was intended to show Hamas that Israel would not bow to growing international pressure to stop the conflict in Gaza.

The Israeli leader made it clear: "The first and most important message to Hamas: 'Don't bet on this pressure, it won't work'."

In addition, assessing the US abstaining from voting at the UNSC, thereby giving the green light to the adoption of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli leader added: "I think this is a very, very poor move by Washington."

This, he explained, “would encourage Hamas to adopt a hard line and think that international pressure would prevent Israel from stopping the hostage rescue operation and destroying Hamas.”

Reuters also reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu's office has informed the White House that it wants to reschedule the meeting on the military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Senior US administration officials are working with Israel to set a date for the meeting.

The White House has said it intends to share with Israeli officials options for eliminating the Hamas militant group in Gaza without launching a ground offensive in Rafah, which Washington says would be a "disaster."

Meanwhile, the Al-Akhbar daily reported that after the failure of the ceasefire talks in Qatar, Israel will not give in to Hamas and is trying to prepare for an amphibious attack on the city of Rafah after the end of Ramadan.

Citing Egyptian sources, the pro-Hezbollah newspaper said the attack would be after Al-Fitr, the three-day holiday following the Muslim month of Ramadan that ends around April 12. At the latest, the attack would take place in early May.

According to the same source, the Rafah offensive will last 4-8 weeks, taking place simultaneously with efforts to relocate about 1.5 million Palestinians taking refuge from the war here to central Gaza.

Israel has not commented on this information.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-israel-hamas-dung-nen-dat-cuoc-vao-suc-ep-quoc-te-muon-noi-chuyen-voi-my-ve-cuoc-tan-cong-rafah-265749.html