IOF propose Gaza 'evacuation plan' amid looming Rafah invasion
The office of the Israeli PM says the IOF "presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from areas of fighting in the Gaza Strip."
The Israeli occupation military proposed a plan Monday for "evacuating" civilians from the Gaza Strip after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a ground invasion of the southern city of Rafah was necessary for "total victory".
Foreign governments and aid organizations have repeatedly expressed fears that such an operation will inflict mass civilian casualties in Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians -- most of them displaced from other areas -- are sheltering in tent cities. The city is also the entry point for desperately needed aid, brought in via neighbouring Egypt.
The Israeli military "presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from areas of fighting in the Gaza Strip, and with the upcoming operational plan", a statement in Hebrew from Netayahu's office said Monday.
The statement did not give any details about how or where the civilians would be moved.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said the invasion into Rafah would put "Israel" within weeks of "total victory".
Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza have resumed in the Qatari capital Doha, state-linked Egyptian media reported, but Netanyahu said any deal would not prevent the invasion of Rafah.
"If we have a (ceasefire) deal, it [Rafah invasion] will be delayed somewhat, but it will happen," he 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 -- not months away, weeks away, once we begin the operation."
An Israeli delegation was in Paris on Friday to discuss a deal on a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal between "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas.
This comes as the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on the 142nd day of the war that the number of Palestinians martyred since the start of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip on October 7 has risen to 29,692, while the number of wounded has reached 69,879.
Exclusive: 'Israel' obstructed prisoner exchange deal in Paris meeting
Earlier on Sunday, private sources in the Palestinian Resistance told Al Mayadeen that "Israel" obstructed reaching a final agreement to a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal during the latest talks in Paris.
Although sources explained that the latest meeting in Paris attempted to "bridge the differences" in proposed clauses between Hamas and "Israel", the meeting saw insufficient changes in the Israeli representatives' positions.
Some progress was made on specific clauses, however, the main demands made by Hamas were "ignored", the sources told Al Mayadeen.
Among the demands overlooked by the Israeli side was a clause for a comprehensive ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, according to the sources.
In detail, the progress made during the meeting revolved around altering the ratio of Israeli captives to Palestinian prisoners, from 1 captive to 3 Palestinians, to 3 to 13 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 1 Israeli captive.
The sources revealed to Al Mayadeen that Hamas insisted that all displaced Palestinians should be allowed to return to their homes in the first stage of the deal, adding, however, that those present at the meeting opted for including a clause that would allow only for "the gradual and limited return of displaced" Palestinians to their homes.
Moreover, Al Mayadeen's sources said that "it is clear that the gap between the two sides remains large," adding that Hamas believes that "Israel" is attempting to buy its time and "procrastinate to avoid reaching a final agreement, as that could trigger an internal crisis that may lead to the collapse of the (Israeli) coalition government."
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