JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the army had presented to the War Cabinet its operational plan for a ground offensive into Rafah, Gaza‘s southernmost town along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety. The situation in Rafah, where dense tent camps have sprouted to house the displaced, has sparked global concern and Israel’s allies have warned that it must protect civilians in its battle against Hamas.
Netanyahu’s office also said the War Cabinet had approved a plan to deliver humanitarian aid safely into Gaza in a way that would “prevent the cases of looting.” It did not disclose further details.
The war began after Hamas-led militants rampaged across southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.
Nearly 30,000 people in Gaza, two thirds of them women and children, have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants. Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Netanyahu’s office also said the War Cabinet had approved a plan to deliver humanitarian aid safely into Gaza in a way that would “prevent the cases of looting.” It did not disclose further details.
The war began after Hamas-led militants rampaged across southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.
Nearly 30,000 people in Gaza, two thirds of them women and children, have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants. Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence.