Netanyahu ‘Approved’ Plan For Rafah Military Offensive
Netanyahu’s office said on Friday he had approved the military’s plan for an operation in Rafah, where most of war-battered Gaza’s population has sought refuge.
He “approved the plans for action in Rafah,” his office said in a statement, without giving details or a timeline.
The statement said the military was “prepared for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population.”
Several countries have warned Israel against carrying out a military operation in Rafah, which houses more than 1.4 million Palestinians, according to international reports.
At least 31,490 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and 73,439 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
