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1 of 7 | Palestinians hunt for belongings from their destroyed tents pursuing Israeli airstrikes successful municipality of Rafah, confederate Gaza Strip connected April 22. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will invade nan metropolis "with aliases without" a hostage deal. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
April 30 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Tuesday made it clear that an penetration of nan confederate Gaza metropolis of Rafah will spell guardant independent of negotiations to free hostages held successful captivity by nan violent group Hamas.
Netanyahu said that Israeli forces would participate Rafah and "eliminate nan Hamas battalions there," adding that nan scheme would move guardant "with aliases without a deal, successful bid to execute nan full victory."
"The thought that we will halt nan warfare earlier achieving each of its goals is retired of nan question," Netanyahu said Tuesday during talks pinch right-wing affiliated groups who correspond families of nan Hamas hostages and those of fallen Israeli soldiers that support Israel's subject effort successful Gaza.
Netanyahu's comments came arsenic U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is successful nan Middle East for different information of talks pinch leaders and different officials
Blinken had warned against a Rafah incursion arsenic American officials indicated connected Monday that caller advancement had been made connected a imaginable woody to free nan remaining hostages of nan 254 kidnapped during Hamas' Oct. 7 sneak onslaught connected Israel.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Netanyahu said connected nan telephone connected Sunday wherever Biden "reiterated his clear position" connected an penetration of Rafah, which nan United States successful nan past has called a "red line."
More than 34,000 group person died successful Gaza since nan commencement of nan warfare connected Oct. 7 that followed Hamas' onslaught connected Israel, according to nan Gaza-run wellness ministry, though nan nonstop numbers person been difficult to pin down.
On Monday, a State Department spokesperson said nan United States had recently wished that 5 Israeli subject units committed gross violations of quality authorities agelong earlier nan commencement of nan Israel-Hamas war.
Any caller hostage woody would apt see astatine slightest a impermanent cease-fire and halt for Israel's plans to participate war-torn Rafah, wherever much than half of Gaza's 2.5 cardinal civilians are now re-located.
In March, nan U.N.'s highest method assemblage for assessing nutrient and nutrition crises had warned of an "imminent famine" successful Gaza.
Also connected Monday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had warned an Israeli invasion of Rafah would be "the top disaster successful nan history of nan Palestinian people."
Netanyahu has maintained that taking power of Rafah and destroying nan remaining Gazan guidance battalions is paramount to taking power of nan region and defeating Hamas, which he has vowed since Oct. 7 to do.
Palestinians and nan world organization person continued to antagonistic that specified a move would beryllium catastrophic connected a humanitarian level.
The Palestinian leader says location "must beryllium a governmental solution that brings together Gaza, nan West Bank, and Jerusalem into an independent Palestinian state," adding his fearfulness really aft Gaza, "Israel will move to nan West Bank to deport its group towards Jordan."
But connected Tuesday, a fewer far-right members of Netanyahu's warfare conjugation authorities said really they are taking steps to unit nan premier curate to proceed pinch nan Rafah penetration successful confederate Gaza contempt immoderate "reckless" hostage deal, saying really Netanyhu "understands what nan value is if these things do not happen."
