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In their discussions on news channels, Israeli political and military analysts focused on American and regional pressures to prevent a military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip during the upcoming month of Ramadan.
Amichai Stein, political affairs correspondent on Channel 11, said that the American administration conveyed a message to Israel during the past few days not to embark on a ground operation in Rafah during the month of Ramadan.
He added, "Several Arab countries also conveyed a message to Israel not to carry out an operation in Gaza during the month of Ramadan."
It is noteworthy that a violent Israeli bombardment targeted homes and mosques in Rafah, leaving many martyrs and wounded.
The Channel 11 correspondent referred to reports stating that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the ground operation in Rafah must begin before the month of Ramadan,” stressing that “the Americans are telling Israel that you can work, but you must do it quickly.”
The Israeli Channel 13 highlighted the dispute within the war council between Netanyahu and the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Herzi Halevy, and the channel’s political correspondent, Moria Asraf Wahlberg, quoted what she described as exciting quotes from the cabinet meeting that was held a few days ago.
The Prime Minister urged the army and security services to formulate a plan for Rafah as soon as possible, “We are moving towards a possible operation in Rafah,” and Halevy responded by saying, “There are political dimensions that must be addressed in advance, as the plan requires the evacuation of 1,300,000 Gazans who are there.” He also assured Netanyahu that "the process requires coordination at the political level with the Egyptians."
Channel 11 reported, through its military affairs correspondent, Roi Sharon, that the military security system is “trying to formulate various alternatives to the issue of determining where to evacuate all the residents in Rafah?”
While he said that every option has a side price, the correspondent explained that evacuating the Palestinians in Rafah to Khan Yunis (southern Gaza Strip), the central camps, or to the northern Gaza Strip, will make the Israeli army lose control of those areas, and this will also make it easier for the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas) is restoring its capabilities, according to the Israeli spokesman.
He also pointed out the opposition of the countries of the region, especially Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, to any operation in Rafah, in addition to the opposition of the United States of America.
On the other hand, the Israeli channels discussed with their guests the issue of Moody’s downgrading of Israel’s credit rating and its impact on the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Channel 13 quoted the Governor of the Bank of Israel, Amir Baron, warning in an interview last month that the costs of the war are high and Israel must give up on less vital matters.
Source: Al Jazeera