SOUTH: The southern part of Gaza has been safer than in the north. Now Israel will carry out an operation in the south. Photo: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS
– Now there is nowhere else to go, says former Israeli ambassador Kåre Reidar Aas about the situation for the civilian population in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Wednesday 7 February at 21:41
According to Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday evening that the Israeli military (IDF) has been ordered to begin the announced offensive in Rafah.
The city is located in southern Gaza and over one million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge there from the Israeli attacks. Around half of the refugees are children.
– Only total victory will ensure us to restore security, both in the north and in the south, says Netanyahu about the situation in Gaza.
He estimates that victory is within reach within a few months.
– There is no alternative solution other than Hamas’s collapse. It must be implemented and is achievable, says Netanyahu.
THE BOMB: An injured man with a bandage on his head looks beyond the injuries after an Israeli attack in Rafah on Wednesday. Photo: SAID KHATIB / AFP
Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Netanyahu’s rejection of a ceasefire shows that the prime minister only intends to continue the conflict in the Middle East.
Zuhri calls on all Palestinian resistance groups to continue the confrontations.
Nowhere to go
Diplomat Kåre Reidar Aas was Norway’s ambassador to Israel. He tells VG that a possible operation in Rafah would be disastrous.
– Then you will again see that there will be severe civil suffering. One million Palestinians are in southern Gaza. It remains to be seen whether Netanyahu will continue this. I would assume that considerable pressure will be put on Israel and Netanyahu to prevent this, he says.
– Now there is nowhere else to go. If this happens, the civilian population will suffer once again.
FEAR: Norway’s former Israeli diplomat is afraid of the major consequences a new offensive could lead to. Photo: Jostein Matre / VG
The border with Egypt is closed, so the Palestinians do not have the opportunity to flee further south. Up north in Gaza, there are daily attacks from Israel.
– Such an operation cannot be carried out without major consequences. I would think there would be an international outcry if this actually happened. Netanyahu has said he will eliminate Hamas, but so far he has not succeeded. Hamas’s leadership is reportedly still alive.
INJURED: An injured Palestinian boy stands near several people killed after an Israeli rocket attack in Rafah on Wednesday. Photo: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / REUTERS / NTB
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said earlier on Wednesday that he is very concerned about the announced offensive in Rafah.
– Such an action will exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with unimaginable regional consequences, Guterres said and called for a ceasefire between the parties.
Also read: Terrified refugees prepare for Israeli onslaught on Rafah
– Expected
Lawyer and expert in international law, Cecilie Hellestveit, is not surprised that Netanyahu has ordered the IDF into Rafah.
– This is a completely natural conclusion to the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza where they will reoccupy all of Gaza, take effective military control over the area and ensure that Hamas is no longer capable of governance, she tells VG.
In addition, the Israelis want to get back the hostages Hamas took on 7 October.
ROCKET ATTACK: Palestinians examine a car wreck after an Israeli rocket attack in Rafah on Wednesday. Photo: HAITHAM IMAD / EPA / NTB
– This has been expected all along. Israel first took northern Gaza, then the middle parts and now the south. This is the third phase of the ground operation, says Hellestveit, who believes that the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) has also taken this into account.
– But they have said that in the ground operation there must be no actions that could be a breach of the Genocide Convention. The big topic of discussion now is what will happen after Rafah is recaptured, says Hellestveit, who believes that it may be beneficial for US Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken to be in Israel.
– Now it’s about landing the next day and what will happen then. The Americans have heavy and strong interests in what it should look like, she concludes.
Rejects agreement
Netanyahu repeated on Wednesday evening the message he had previously said that military pressure is the only thing that can ensure the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has put forward a proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. A Hamas delegation will travel to Egypt on Thursday to continue negotiations, writes Reuters.
– We believe the conflict should be resolved through mediation. The latest statements from Hamas show that they are not there yet, says Netanyahu on Wednesday evening.
The statements come after the Prime Minister met US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken earlier in the day, who is in Israel with the hope of securing an agreement between the two warring parties.