As of: February 26, 2024, 12:34 p.m
By: Stefan Krieger
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Despite possible progress in ceasefire negotiations, Israel is sticking to its planned ground offensive in Rafah.
Rafah – Is there finally a movement in the deadlocked Middle East conflict?
Ahead of planned Israeli ground attacks in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military has presented a plan to evacuate civilians from conflict zones.
Israel's wartime government was presented with "a plan for the evacuation of the population from combat zones in the Gaza Strip and the further operational plan" by the military, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced in the early hours of Monday (February 26).
However, the government did not initially publish concrete details about the modalities and timing of the planned evacuation of civilians.
More than a million people have fled to the city of Rafah, which borders Egypt, since the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip began.
The Israeli army says it is preparing a ground offensive there to destroy the “last remaining Hamas bastions” and free suspected hostages there.
Netanyahu wants to stick to his plans
Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that he will stick to the planned ground offensive despite international criticism.
“Early next week I will convene the cabinet to approve operational plans for Rafah, including the evacuation of civilians,” the prime minister said at the weekend.
Observers warn of the devastating consequences of a ground offensive for the civilian population.
Palestinians gather around a destroyed house in Rafah after an Israeli airstrike.
© Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Netanyahu stressed in an interview with the US television network
CBS
on Sunday that even a possible agreement on a ceasefire with the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas would “delay a little bit” such a military operation, but it will happen.
He said: "It must be done because complete victory is our goal and complete victory is within reach - not in months but in a few weeks when we begin the operation."
War in Israel and Gaza: Progress in Negotiations
Israeli media had previously reported that progress had been made in talks in Paris on a hostage and ceasefire agreement.
Israel's Mossad chief David Barnea met with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the USA in the French capital on Saturday.
They reportedly agreed on the outlines of an agreement that will form the basis for further negotiations and was presented to Israel's war cabinet on Saturday evening.
However, Israel's national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said in a television interview on Saturday evening: "Such an agreement does not mean the end of the war."
A senior Palestinian official previously told the
BBC
that no real progress had been made in Paris.
He accused negotiators of passing on inaccurate information to increase pressure on Hamas.
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The Gaza war was triggered by the major attack on Israel on October 7th by Hamas, which the EU and the USA classify as a terrorist organization.
Islamist fighters committed atrocities primarily against civilians.
According to Israeli information, around 1,160 people were killed and around 250 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli information, 130 hostages are still in the Palestinian territory and 31 of them are dead.
In response to the Hamas attack, Israel has since taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip, with the declared aim of destroying Hamas.
According to Hamas figures, which cannot be independently verified, almost 30,000 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since then.
(skr/afp)