Yoav Gallant says military action in Rafah in southern Gaza could happen very soon in light of what he claims is Hamas’s disinterest in a deal.
“We gave it a period of time, and we wanted to reach a situation in which we would achieve the release of the hostages as quickly as possible, with some delay in operational activity – because the hostages are in a difficult situation, and we need to make every effort to free them,” he said in remarks during a visit to central Gaza, as reported by the Israeli media.
He added: “We recognise alarming signs that Hamas actually does not intend to follow any agreement with us. This means action in Rafah and the entire Gaza Strip in the near future.”
The international community has warned Israel against a military operation in Rafah, which shelters about 1.5 million Palestinians displaced by the seven-month-old war.
Hamas has reiterated its support for a deal that would involve a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza.
Source: AlJazeera
