Herzi Halevy (right) previously warned the Netanyahu government of the outbreak of a third intifada (Government Press Office)

Occupied Jerusalem -

Despite the Israeli consensus on the war against Gaza, positions differed regarding carrying out a military operation in Rafah. Disagreements surfaced between the political level and the military establishment over the ground invasion of Rafah, which is the last refuge for the displaced in the besieged Gaza Strip, where about 1,400,000 Palestinians live.

These disagreements came in the wake of escalating protests demanding a comprehensive exchange deal that would lead to the return of all Israeli prisoners held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe if the Israeli army invaded Rafah, and escalating tensions with Egypt, which fears the forced displacement of Gazans to Sinai.

Political issues

The political affairs correspondent for the Israeli Channel 13, Moria Asraf Volberg, reviewed the Israeli internal positions regarding the ground operation in Rafah, noting that disagreements had surfaced between the political and military levels regarding the expected operation.

Volberg pointed out that the differences appeared clear during the recent war council meeting, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Israeli army to formulate a plan to “cleanse Rafah,” sending a call to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy to return the reserve forces that had been demobilized to military service and prepare for the invasion of Rafah. .

The political affairs correspondent explained that Halevy’s response reflects the depth of the differences regarding the military operation in Rafah, and stated that the Chief of Staff indicated that re-recruiting reserve forces requires a long time, stressing that a ground operation of this type requires attention to political aspects, whether internal or external. With Egypt, in the first place.

She pointed out that the ground operation collides with the dilemma of evacuating 1,400,000 displaced Gazans there, as the invasion of Rafah requires coordination between the Israeli political level and the Egyptians.

She added that the Chief of Staff told the Prime Minister that "there are political issues that the political level needs to solve first, and then the Israeli army will do what is required of it."

Volberg quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that “the operation in Rafah is approaching,” at a time that had not yet been coordinated with the Egyptians, as Israel officially announced the readiness for the ground operation in Rafah, at a time when Netanyahu called on the Israeli army and the security establishment to submit a dual plan to the government to evacuate. The Palestinians, and the fighting of the Al-Qassam Brigades in Rafah.

Forced displacement

In addition to the internal disputes and differing Israeli positions regarding the expected ground operation, the head of the International and Middle Eastern Department at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichmann University, Dr. Shai Hartsvi, believes that the Israeli army’s invasion of Rafah will provoke severe international and regional reactions that Israel has not yet witnessed.

In a position assessment published by Maariv newspaper, Hartsvi explained that recent days have witnessed an escalation in tension in relations between Israel and Egypt, against the backdrop of talk of a military operation and a ground incursion into Rafah, which provokes sharp reactions not only in Egypt. But also among other Arab countries, as well as the United States and Europe.

The Israeli writer pointed out that “Egyptian discontent stems from the fear that the invasion in a very dense area will cause great harm to the displaced, and the rise of internal criticism against the Egyptian regime as it extends a helping hand to Israeli military activity, and also allows the forced displacement of Gazans under the pretext of humanitarian motives.” .

Hartsvi stated that since the beginning of the war on Gaza, there has been great dissatisfaction in Egypt with the ideas heard in Israel by ministers and members of the Knesset to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and deal unilaterally with the Philadelphia axis. Pointing out that some Egyptian officials consider this a red line for the regime, and constitutes a threat to Egyptian national security, which may hinder continued cooperation between the two countries, and affect the Camp David Accords.

He added, "Egypt plays a fundamental role in the negotiations aimed at formulating a new plan to return the kidnapped Israelis alive, as a ground operation in Rafah poses a threat to the lives of the hostages, and will have negative repercussions on the negotiations in the prisoner exchange deal, the ceasefire, and even everything related to it." about the future of Gaza the day after the war.”

Green light

In the military context, the military and security affairs correspondent for the Israeli Channel 12, Nir Dvori, revealed that the plan for a ground incursion into Rafah is ready, claiming that “the plan coordinated with the Egyptians also includes the evacuation of civilians from the city,” where the Israeli army has been waiting for about Two weeks, the green light from the political level to begin the invasion.

Dafouri pointed out that the army’s plan to invade Rafah also includes working to evacuate the displaced to places south of the Gaza River, and to the coastal area south of Gaza, but not north of the Strip.

According to sources in Israel, the military correspondent says, “The desire for the ground maneuver in Rafah is to pressure Yahya Sinwar to make concessions in the exchange deal negotiations.”

On the political level, Yehonatan Liss, political affairs correspondent for Haaretz newspaper, explained that Israel is clashing with the Egyptians’ opposition to the plan for a ground incursion into Rafah, fearing a mass exodus of Palestinians from the city to Sinai.

In this regard, the Israeli journalist says, “The political level has not yet set a timetable for the Israeli army operation in the southern Gaza Strip until Rafah, noting that Netanyahu made clear during the War Council discussions that the ground operation in Rafah must end by the tenth of next March, which is The estimated day of the beginning of Ramadan.

According to Yehonatan Liss, Israel has not yet reached an understanding with Egypt on how to deal with the network of tunnels on the border between Israel and Gaza, and on the monitoring procedures that will allow raising an alarm about the smuggling of weapons through the tunnels from the Egyptian side to the Gaza Strip.

Source: Al Jazeera