Netanyahu says IOF readying for Rafah attack, vows war 'till the end'
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The Israeli Prime Minister rejects the demands of the Resistance in Gaza and says the war on the Strip will continue for months and not years.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks as he meets with US President Biden in "Tel Aviv", on October 18, 2023 (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin said the next phase of the ground invasion in Gaza after Khan Younis will be Rafah, noting that the war on the Strip "will continue till the end."
Over 120 days into the war, the Israeli military is yet to achieve any of its main declared objectives.
In a Wednesday press conference, Netanyahu said that reaching "victory" in Gaza will require "months" and not years, and this can't be accomplished with the "military collapse [of Resistance Hamas]. There will not be a civilian collapse [of Gaza government] without a military one."
“We are on the way to complete victory. The victory is within reach,” he claimed.
“I set absolute victory as the goal from the start,” he said, adding, “We won’t settle for any less than that.”
Netanyahu denied reports that Hamas was re-deploying in areas in northern Gaza where Israelis have withdrawn, claiming that the military has dismantled the group’s brigades and military chain of command there.
“There is no alternative to the military collapse [of Hamas]. There will not be a civilian collapse [of Hamas rule] without a military one,” the Israeli PM said.
Read more: PFLP vows to turn Rafah into Israeli occupiers 'graveyard' if invaded
Hamas announced on Tuesday that it handed its response to the Paris Document to mediators, adding that the party dealt "positively" with the initial proposal, which came as a result of a meeting of top intelligence officials from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and France in Paris in late January.
The group introduced modifications to the original prisoner exchange proposal, which had lacked core conditions Resistance factions in Gaza insisted on repeatedly.
Added clauses included a comprehensive and complete ceasefire, ending the aggression, securing relief, shelter, reconstruction (projects), lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip, and completing the process of a prisoner exchange deal.
Read more: Exclusive-Hamas, PIJ: No one can force terms on Palestinian Resistance
Hamas' response surprised Israeli officials, with Israeli media reporting that it proved the Resistance is negotiating with ease and "its back is not against the wall."
Commenting on the response, Netanyahu rejected the conditions, adding that it seems negotiations still haven't reached a mature stage.
Specifically, the Israeli occupation has refused to commit to the kinds of ratios of Palestinian captives to be freed in exchange for captives, or to the identity of detainees who would go free.
“There is supposed to be some kind of negotiation via the intermediaries. But right now, given what I see from the response by Hamas [to the Israel-backed framework for talks on a deal], they’re not there.”
He continued that “the ‘day after’ is the day after Hamas” and that the goal is to ensure there remain no Resistance groups in Gaza.
In another context, Benjamin Netanyahu blatantly denied reports of increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, claiming that “up to 60 percent of the humanitarian aid is taken by Hamas.”
Resistance stands in the way of normalization
Reuters reported earlier this month that Saudi officials have told their US counterparts that Riyadh is willing, in exchange for normalization with "Israel", to accept "a political commitment from Israel towards a two-state solution" without having the occupation take any concrete steps.
The report prompted Saudi Arabia to issue a statement refuting all mentioned claims and emphasized the necessity of resolving the Palestinian cause, first and foremost, and establishing an independent Palestinian State.
Read more: Why is Saudi Arabia open to normalize relations with 'Israel'?
On that note, the Israeli Prime Minister said the Resistance today is standing in the way of more normalization deals.
“There’ll be no agreement [on further peace treaties] if Hamas is not defeated,” he said.
Israeli media reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu denied a US request for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet privately with army chief Herzi Halevi.
The Prime Minister confirmed the reports, saying that during his trips to the US, he does not meet with military officials without the presence of the country's diplomats.
“I think that’s how we need to act,” he said.
Read more: Blinken to start fifth ME tour on Sunday
