Netanyahu: Israel to Enter Rafah Despite Hostage Deal

SEAToday.com, Gaza - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Sat (2/17) rejected calls to hold off ground offensive on Rafah. He indicated that the military would go into the city regardless of whether a hostage deal was agreed.

“Even if we achieve it, we will enter Rafah,” he said.

Netanyahu criticizes international calls to hold offensives on Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, calling those who were against “telling us (Israel) to lose the war". Retired general Benny Gantz, part of Netanyahu’s War Cabinet previously threatened to invade the city if the hostages are not freed by the upcoming Ramadan.

Diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the US to broker a ceasefire deal “have not been progressing as expected”, with recent talks in Cairo produced no result. Netanyahu had sent delegations per US’s request but doesn't see the point in sending them again. "We got nothing except for delusional demands from Hamas,” he said.

Netanyahu also stated that any settlement will only be reached through direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions.