Israel will carry out an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah regardless of whether a deal on hostages is reached with Hamas or not, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
"The idea that we will stop the war before all its goals have been achieved is irrelevant. We will enter Rafah and destroy Hamas battalions there, with or without an agreement [on hostages], to achieve absolute victory," Netanyahu said at a meeting with representatives of the families of the hostages.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Jewish state continues to prepare for the operation in Rafah. According to him, he has already conveyed to the United States his country's position that it is impossible to achieve a final victory over Hamas without sending troops to Rafah.
Egypt and other Arab countries have repeatedly warned the Israeli authorities against the move.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack.
Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 34,400 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.