The war cabinet unanimously decided to continue the operation in Rafah in order to put military pressure on Hamas to release Israeli captives and achieve other goals, according IRNA citing media reports on the statement from Netanyahu's office.
Simultaneously with the continuation of the military operation in Rafah, the war cabinet decided to send the negotiating team to Cairo to review the proposal for a ceasefire, the statement said.
Soon after the statement, Daniel Hagari, spokesman of the Zionist regime's army though announced that forces launched a sudden attack on the eastern part of Rafah.
He did not specify the details but the Palestinian media reported that Israeli tanks shelled a building in the Rafah crossing. The report also said that Zionist tanks are in a state of battle and deployed just 200 meters from the Rafah crossing.
Earlier, a well-informed source in the Palestinian resistance warned the Israeli regime that any ground attack on the city of Rafah may lead to a halt in negotiations to reach a ceasefire.
The Hamas movement has emphasized that the threat of a ground attack on Rafah will not exert any pressure on the movement and will not have any positive effect on the peace negotiations, he said.
US opposed to Rafah offensive
However, the administration of US President Joe Biden has once again voiced concern for any potential Israeli attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator of the White House's National Security Council, said on Monday that the United States does not support a ground attack on Rafah without considering civilians.
We do not support ground military operations in Rafah that do not consider the safety of civilians, he said, adding that Netanyahu, in a conversation with Biden, pledged to reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing for aid to Gaza.
Regarding the acceptance of the ceasefire by Hamas, Kirby said that Washington is currently examining Hamas' response to this agreement and having dialogue with regional partners.
President Biden has been informed of Hamas' response, and we will evaluate it and discuss its consequences, he said.
Meanwhile, an American official revealed about the latest Israeli attack on Rafah on Tuesday morning but claimed that the new attack was likely not "a major military operation". The official, whose name was disclosed by Reuters, however expressed concern about any full-fledged Israeli attack on the city of Rafah
He added that the United States is focused on preventing a major military operation in Rafah, and it does not seem that the Israelis will do such a thing.
4399
Your Comment