(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a long-anticipated move, US ally Israel has initiated a military offensive into Rafah, the last stronghold of the Palestinian Arab Islamist terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after Hamas tried to alter the conditions of a proposed ceasefire deal in an extremely disgusting way.
A primary focus of this operation is the border crossing with Egypt, which remains the only exit from the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel.
This strategic move came as more than one million Palestinians sought refuge in Rafah from the conflict in other parts of Gaza, The New York Post reports.
Despite Hamas proposing a ceasefire, changes in the terms of the agreement led Israel to dismiss the proposal as deceptive.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN TV, Hamas had altered the language of the agreement to include dead hostages in the count of Israelis to be returned in exchange for a temporary halt to the hostilities.
Hamas declared its approval of a ceasefire deal on Monday afternoon, yet the terms differed significantly from those previously offered by Israel.
Additionally, Hamas demanded an end to the war—a condition Israel has consistently rejected, committing instead to the complete elimination of Hamas.
Following this, Israel quickly launched a ground offensive. According to Palestinian and Egyptian officials, Israeli tanks penetrated Rafah, nearing the crucial border crossing.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) aim to oversee the Palestinian side of the crossing to monitor any aid entering Gaza, as reported by a source to Axios.
Global attention has now turned to Rafah, with US President Joe Biden expressing opposition to Israeli ground operations in the area.
“The president was consistent again this morning that we don’t support ground operations in Rafah,” John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters.
As the IDF advanced into Rafah, Hamas responded by launching rockets towards the Israeli towns of Sderot and Nir Am.
The IDF confirmed that these rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, although some shrapnel caused damage to a residence.
Israel’s war cabinet unanimously decided to continue the offensive in Rafah, aiming to apply military pressure on Hamas to progress the release of hostages and achieve other war objectives, as stated by Netanyahu’s office.
Following Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s announcement of accepting a ceasefire, Israeli officials informed various news outlets that the proposal was a diluted version of what was actually on the table, and not taken seriously by Israel.
This was perceived by some as a tactic by Hamas to generate backlash against Israel for rejecting the cease-fire, with KAN TV reporting it as a “Hamas deception.”
Copyright 2024, TheRedAlertNews.com
