Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted at an imminent ground offensive into Rafah during his visit with IDF troops in western Gaza City on Wednesday.
“I met the troops who are conducting extraordinary work above and below the ground. Our forces reach every location necessary, and we can conclude that there is no safe haven for terrorists in Gaza,” Gallant said.
“Even those who think we are delayed will soon see that we will reach every location,” he forewarned. “We will bring to justice anyone who was involved in the events [massacre conducted] on October 7th. We will either eliminate them [the terrorists] or bring them to trial in Israel.”
Israel’s planned military venture into Rafah has caused a rift in Israel-US relations, with US President Joe Biden calling it a “red line.”
Politico reports the White House has given its approval for Israel to conduct targeted strikes on “high-value Hamas targets” in Rafah. Citing four U.S. officials, it comes with a stipulation that Israel avoids a full-scale invasion of the densely populated city, as such an action “could fracture the alliance.” According to the report, Biden might condition future military aid to Israel if it launched a major campaign in Rafah. However, National Security Advisor Sullivan dismissed these claims and similar reports as “uninformed speculation.”
