Tel Aviv (Israel):An Israeli military offensive in the southernmost city of Rafah could be delayed somewhat if a deal for a weekslong cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is reached, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, but claimed that total victory in Gaza is weeks away once the offensive begins.
Netanyahu confirmed to CBS that a deal is in the works, with no details. Israeli media reported that mediators were making progress on an agreement for a cease-fire and release of dozens of hostages held in Gaza as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Several Israeli media outlets, citing unnamed officials, said the War Cabinet tacitly approved it.
Talks resumed on Sunday in Qatar at the specialist level, Egypt's state-run Al Qahera TV reported, citing an Egyptian official as saying further discussions would follow in Cairo with the aim of achieving the cease-fire and release. Meanwhile, Israel is developing plans for expanding its offensive against the Hamas militant group to Rafah on the Gaza-Egypt border, where more than half the besieged territory's population of 2.3 million have sought refuge.
Humanitarian groups warn of a catastrophe, with Rafah the main entry point for aid, and the US and other allies have said Israel must avoid harming civilians. Netanyahu has said he'll convene the Cabinet this week to approve operational plans for action in Rafah, including the evacuation of civilians. Once we begin the Rafah operation, the intense phase of the fighting is weeks away from completion. Not months," Netanyahu told CBS. If we don't have a deal, we'll do it anyway. It has to be done because total victory is our goal and total victory is within reach.
He said that four of the six remaining Hamas battalions are concentrated in Rafah. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC that President Joe Biden hadn't been briefed on the Rafah plan and said, "We believe that this operation should not go forward until or unless we see (a plan to protect civilians).
Heavy fighting continued in parts of northern Gaza, the first target of the offensive, where the destruction is staggering. Residents have reported days of heavy fighting in the Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza City. We're trapped, unable to move because of the heavy bombardment," resident Ayman Abu Awad said. He said starving residents have been forced to eat animal fodder and search for food in demolished buildings. Northern Gaza has been largely cut off from aid, and the UN's World Food Programme suspended deliveries last week.
