Benjamin Netanyahu : “Israel rejects calls to spare Rafah, ceasefire prospects dim”

Chances for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to fade on Sunday, following indications from the United States that it would veto the latest attempt for a UN Security Council resolution. Additionally, Qatar, a mediator in the talks, acknowledged that discussions to achieve a truce have reached a standstill.

The ongoing efforts to halt the four-month-long conflict come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Saturday that he would not heed international pleas to spare Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where around 1.5 million people have sought refuge.

Israel’s relentless pursuit to eliminate every Hamas battalion has brought the conflict closer to Rafah, with recent overnight attacks resulting in the deaths of at least 10 Gazans in the city and in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, as reported by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on October 7, leading to the deaths of approximately 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to figures from Israeli officials.

Furthermore, militants have taken around 250 people as hostages, with 130 individuals still in Gaza, including 30 who are presumed dead, based on Israeli reports.

Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza have claimed the lives of at least 28,858 individuals, predominantly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Neighbouring Egypt has expressed concerns that an Israeli incursion into Rafah could lead to the trapped Gazans crossing the border. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s opposition to any forced displacement into the Sinai desert.

In a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, both leaders agreed on the “urgent need for a ceasefire” according to a summary of their discussion.

Despite ongoing truce negotiations in Cairo, Netanyahu stated that his troops would proceed with a ground invasion of Rafah, even if a temporary ceasefire agreement is reached.

“Even if we manage to secure a ceasefire, we will still enter Rafah,” Netanyahu declared during a televised press conference on Saturday.

Addressing the thousands of protestors in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu stated that countries urging Israel to reconsider its actions are essentially advocating for Israel to “lose the war”.

As the possibility of a United Nations Security Council vote looms next week, the United States has already expressed opposition to the proposed resolution. US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stated that the US does not support the current draft resolution and would not adopt it if it came up for a vote.

Algeria’s draft resolution calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, while the US is backing a truce-for-hostages deal that would pause hostilities for six weeks.

US President Joe Biden held discussions with Netanyahu, as well as Egyptian and Qatari leaders, aiming to advance the proposed truce deal, as mentioned by Thomas-Greenfield.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani expressed his reservations about the progress of the talks, describing them as “not very promising”. He highlighted that many countries are insisting that any new ceasefire should involve further hostage releases.

Amidst the negotiations, Hamas has threatened to suspend its participation in the talks unless humanitarian aid reaches the north of Gaza, where aid agencies have warned of an impending famine.

“Negotiations cannot proceed while hunger continues to afflict the Palestinian people,” a senior source within the Palestinian militant group told AFP, requesting anonymity as he is unauthorized to speak on the matter.

– Concerns for Patients Post-Raid –

Prior to this, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reiterated the group’s demands, which Netanyahu dismissed as “absurd”. These demands include a complete cessation of hostilities, the release of Hamas prisoners, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Netanyahu has also rejected pressure from certain Western governments to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, citing that such a move would reward terrorism and hinder future peace efforts.

Israel confirmed on Saturday that it had detained 100 individuals from one of Gaza’s few operational hospitals after a military operation in the facility.

At least 120 patients and five medical teams are currently stranded without essential supplies such as water, food, and electricity in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, the main southern city of Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Israel has focused its military activities in Khan Yunis, the hometown of Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, who is accused by Israel of orchestrating the October 7 attack.

The situation remains dire in Nasser Hospital, where intense fighting has taken place. The Israeli military entered the hospital on Thursday based on what it claimed was credible intelligence about hostages being held there. However, it later admitted that there was no solid evidence to support this claim.

– Urgent Need for Food Supply –

Following the raid, the power was cut off, and the generators ceased to function, resulting in the deaths of six patients due to a lack of oxygen, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.

A witness, who chose to remain anonymous for safety reasons, informed AFP that Israeli forces fired at anyone moving within the hospital premises.

In northern Gaza, the situation has become so desperate that some individuals are resorting to grinding animal feed for sustenance.

“We are facing death by starvation, not from bombs or missiles,” expressed Mohammed Nassar, a resident of Jabalia in the northern part of the territory.

Despite a much-needed supply delivery reaching southern Gaza on Saturday, the UN has reiterated its warning that Gazans are on the brink of famine.

Furthermore, aid deliveries are being hindered by Palestinians in Rafah, who are so famished that they are intercepting aid trucks to secure whatever provisions they can, as per the UN reports.

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