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Israel’s defense minister told his U.S. counterpart in their exchange yesterday that his country had been left with “no alternative” but to launch an operation in Rafah.
Yoav Gallant said that Hamas was refusing any offer that would allow a deal for a cease-fire and release of hostages who remain held in Gaza, according to a readout from his office. As a result, he said, military action in Rafah was required given “the lack of an alternative.”
It comes after the latest round of cease-fire talks appear to have stalled.
Austin stressed the need for any military operation in Rafah to include a plan to evacuate civilians and maintain the flow of humanitarian aid, according to a readout of the conversation provided by the Pentagon.
TEL AVIV — No firm timeline has been set for when Israeli ground troops will enter Rafah, an Israeli official has told NBC News.
The timing will depend on when the government gives the IDF the order to move in and on how long it takes for civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate, they said.
The U.S. and its allies have repeatedly urged Israel’s government against a ground assault on the southern city, where more than half of Gaza’s civilian population is thought to be sheltering.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted his troops will enter Rafah to target Hamas leaders, whether before or after a new truce deal.