Israel has threatened to launch the offensive on Rafah during the Muslim holy month. “If by Ramadan, the hostages are not at home, the fighting will continue everywhere, including in the Rafah region,” warned Benny Gantz, minister and member of the Israeli war cabinet.
By posing this ultimatum, the Jewish state obviously intends to put pressure on the Palestinian Islamist movement to achieve its ends, says Sébastien Boussois, researcher specializing in the Middle East.