Israel determined to attack Rafah regardless of agreement with Hamas

Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel will attack Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, regardless of whether a hostage exchange deal is reached with Hamas or not.

"There is no other choice but total victory. And there is no way to achieve total victory without destroying the battalions in Rafah. We will do that," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on February 17.

Rafah is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt and having a border crossing with this country. The Israeli army is focusing its attack on Rafah to eliminate the remaining Hamas battalions.

Netanyahu stressed that the Israeli government still wants to reach a hostage deal with Hamas and it would be "very good" if it could be done. However, the Israeli Prime Minister said the parties could not get close to an agreement "because Hamas made outrageous demands".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on December 31, 2023. Photo: AFP

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, whose country is acting as a mediator, said the ceasefire negotiations had been complicated by the emergence of several countries that wanted any agreement to include the release of more hostages.

Mr al-Thani's assessment came after Hamas threatened to pull out of the talks unless aid was delivered to northern Gaza, an area warned by humanitarian agencies to be at risk of imminent famine.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier reiterated a number of demands from the militant group, including a complete halt to fighting, the release of Hamas prisoners and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Netanyahu called these demands "absurd".

According to AFP statistics based on official figures provided by Israel, about 130 hostages are believed to be still being held in Gaza after the Hamas-Israel conflict broke out last October. Israel and Hamas reached a one-week ceasefire in November, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, to exchange hostages and facilitate humanitarian activities.

Location of cities in the Gaza Strip. Graphics: BBC

Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Times of Israel )

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