Topline
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on Israel’s plan to enter the Gaza city of Rafah, vowing in a Thursday social media post to “repel” international pressure amid global humanitarian concern, including from the U.S., over a potential offensive in the region.
Key Facts
On X, formerly Twitter, Netanyahu shared a video of him talking to Israeli troops, along with a message noting while “there is international pressure to prevent us from entering Rafah,” he would “continue to repel the pressures and we will enter Rafah, complete the elimination of the remaining Hamas battalions, restore security and bring complete victory to the people of Israel and the State of Israel,” according to a translation of the post.
The comments echo statements he made at a pro-Israel AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference earlier this week, when he vowed to “finish the job in Rafah” while ensuring the safety of civilians, and referenced international pressure, stating: “None of these pressures will stop us.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli military on Wednesday unveiled plans to relocate many of the 1.4 million displaced Palestinians in Rafah into designated “humanitarian islands” in order to reduce the likelihood of civilian casualties ahead of an eventual offensive, though it offered no details on a timeline for evacuation or eventual attack.
Israel’s momentum toward a Rafah offensive comes amid a growing rift between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu, with the Biden administration repeatedly urging against invading Rafah and Biden himself suggesting that doing so would be a “red line,” a claim that the White House has since walked back.
Key Background
Rafah has become a focal point of humanitarian concern, as the town’s population has ballooned from around 280,000 to roughly 1.5 million as hundreds of thousands seek sanctuary from the Israel-Hamas War across Gaza. The U.N.’s top humanitarian official, Martin Griffiths, last month said civilians were crammed together with little access to humanitarian aid and warned “military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza” and could leave “an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.” Israel has faced international scrutiny as its war against Hamas continues, with the Palestinian Ministry of Health claiming that more than 31,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed since the start of the war.
Contra
Netanyahu, in his AIPAC speech, said Israel has taken measures to minimize civilian casualties “that no other army has taken in history.” He accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, and criticized international leaders for blaming Israel instead of Hamas for casualties, arguing: “For Israel, every civilian death is a tragedy, for Hamas, every civilian death is a strategy.”
Tangent
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called for new elections in Israel, claiming that Netanyahu had “lost his way” by yielding to far-right extremists in Israel.