Israeli army unveils plan to launch ground operation in Rafah.
The ground operation will involve the relocation of more than one million people.
247 - The Israeli armed forces presented their plan to the War Cabinet on Sunday night (25) to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and militarily destroy what they call the last Hamas battalions in the Gaza area, near the Egyptian border, reports the Jerusalem Post.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed on CBS's "Face the Nation" program about the importance of Operation Rafah in ensuring the success of Israel's military and occupation plans. "We will not give up," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu says his army has already destroyed 18 of Hamas's 24 battalions, four of which are concentrated in Rafah, attempting to justify the military operation that has drawn worldwide condemnation even before it began.
There is great concern about the fate of more than 1,3 million Palestinians in that area, many of whom fled there to escape Israeli bombing in northern Gaza.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed to CNN that Israel, Egypt, and Qatar reached an understanding in Paris on the "basic outlines of a hostage agreement for a temporary ceasefire."
There will now be “indirect discussions” between Qatar and Egypt with Hamas because, ultimately, they will have to agree to release the hostages. “This work is ongoing. And we hope that in the coming days we can reach a point where there is a firm and final agreement,” Sullivan stated.
Regarding the military operation in Rafah, Sullivan stressed on NBC's "Meet the Press" the importance of the war cabinet approving a viable plan for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians, noting that this was the only way to secure US support.
“We have made it clear that we do not believe a large-scale military operation should proceed in Rafah unless there is a clear and executable plan to protect these civilians, get them to a safe location, and feed, clothe, and shelter them. And we have not seen such a plan,” Sullivan said.
Netanyahu told CBS that Israel had already done more than any other nation would to preserve civilian life during the military offensive against the Palestinians. Around 30 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Israel says that 11 of these include Hamas fighters.