'No force in the world' will stop Rafah invasion, Netanyahu says
He said there were "many forces" trying to stop the Rafah offensive - a reference to other nations demanding that Israel does not go ahead
In a smack in the face of the Biden administration, Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on his pledge to go forward with his invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Speaking from a military base, Netanyahu says: "We will complete the elimination of the Hamas battalions, including in Rafah. No force in the world will stop us."
Staff Writer
He said there were "many forces" trying to stop the Rafah offensive - a reference to other nations demanding that Israel does not go ahead - "but it will not help, because this enemy, after what it has done, will not do it again, it will cease to exist".
He said that a date had been set for the Rafah operation, but he did not specify when.
Israel-US meeting on Rafah
An in-person meeting of Israeli and US officials on the planned operation in the Gaza city of Rafah will take place "in a couple of weeks", the White House says.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday that Israel has not yet set a date for an operation in Rafah, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public claim Monday that "there is a date," according to a source with direct knowledge.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is pushing Netanyahu not to proceed with an operation in Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Netanyahu has presented the plans as a done deal, but both U.S. officials and Gallant are now contradicting him.
Read More WF News
Johan Chairil