Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his determination to continue fighting against Hamas to free the hostages. He posted the corresponding post on the social network X (formerly Twitter), commenting on the rescue of two Israelis during an IDF raid in Rafah (located in the south of the Gaza Strip) on the night of February 12.
“Only continued military pressure until complete victory will lead to the release of all those abducted,” TASS quotes Netanyahu as saying.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the operation was accompanied by massive airstrikes against targets in Rafah, in the Al-Shabura quarter. As IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters, the military killed many terrorists.
At the same time, according to Hamas and Arab media, up to 100 civilians were killed. According to Reuters, citing local health officials, Israeli airstrikes killed 67 Palestinians and injured dozens of people.
“It was the worst night since we arrived in Rafah last month. Death was so close! Shells and rockets fell 200 meters from our tent camp,” Reuters quoted a local businessman and father of six children named Emad as saying.
Palestinian children on the rubble of houses after the Israeli strike on Rafah
AP
© Hatem Ali
Hamas called the IDF strikes on Rafah a continuation of the Palestinian genocide. The movement also accused Washington and American President Joe Biden personally of supporting Tel Aviv’s aggressive policy aimed at exterminating civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas called on the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN Security Council to take measures that would immediately stop “Israeli aggression and genocide against the civilian population of Gaza.”
Let us recall that on February 10, Saudi Arabia called for a meeting of the Security Council of the world organization regarding a possible IDF operation in Rafah. Netanyahu himself announced his intention to hold it on February 7. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, the military was ordered to prepare for military operations in Rafah and two refugee camps.
On February 11, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said during a government meeting at the Julis military base that the IDF's military activity increases the possibility of concluding a “realistic deal” for the return of the hostages. However, Hamas noted that any attack by the Israeli army on Rafah would mean a breakdown in negotiations.
RT discussed with experts the reasons and possible consequences of the IDF military operation in Rafah.
— Why did Israel decide to conduct a military operation in Rafah? Will it again lead to the death of large numbers of civilians, given the proximity of the refugee camps?
Middle East specialist, expert of the Russian International Affairs Council Elena Suponina:
— Rafah is located on the border of the Gaza Strip with Egypt. Before the conflict escalated in October, a significant portion of food and other humanitarian supplies passed through the checkpoint in this city.
After the start of Israeli strikes, the checkpoint was closed, but periodically it is opened to provide refugees in the Gaza Strip and evacuate foreigners, including Russians. In turn, Israel believes that Rafah is being used to supply Hamas. Supplies of weapons and ammunition are carried out through underground tunnels across the Egyptian border. In addition, according to Tel Aviv, they may be hiding the leaders of the movement and holding Israeli hostages.
Therefore, the key goal of the IDF operation can be called the suppression of supplies to the Palestinian resistance, the creation of a buffer zone in Rafah and the adjacent territory.
Consequences of the Israeli Air Force strike on Rafah on February 12, 2024
AP
© Hatem Ali
The implementation of this plan will facilitate the annexation of Palestinian lands. However, the operation to capture Rafah will be a difficult test for the Israeli army, given the scale of Hamas's underground infrastructure and the combat readiness of its members for fierce resistance.
But refugees and local residents will suffer the most. The humanitarian situation in Rafah is already dire. With the start of the IDF operation, a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe is likely to ensue. Along with this, more than one thousand people will probably die under intense Israeli strikes. Moreover, after the conflict escalated, the IDF already fired at the checkpoint, which led to the death of UN employees and refugees.
Expert on Middle East countries Karine Gevorgyan:
“In my opinion, with the help of another aggressive operation, Tel Aviv hopes to take control of the so-called Philadelphia corridor. This is a border area with a length of 20 km. It is located between Kibbutz Kerem Shalom and the Mediterranean coast.
Until 2005, it was controlled by the Israeli military, then, according to the Philadelphia Agreement, Egyptian border guards took over its patrolling. Part of the corridor is controlled by Hamas.
In January, Cairo warned Tel Aviv that occupying the landmass would cause serious damage to bilateral relations. Egypt also declared that Israel's accusations of arms smuggling across the border were groundless. But despite this, Israel launches an operation in Rafah, hoping to thus crush Hamas' military infrastructure.
Expert of the Center for the Near and Middle East of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Fedorova:
“In my opinion, Israel seeks to ensure a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, and the operation against Hamas is consistent with this goal. In addition, in Rafah there are above-ground and underground facilities that are responsible for the life support of the Palestinian resistance.
Talk about a more profitable deal for hostages is rather a convenient political cover for new aggression that will lead to mass deaths of civilians. Hamas is very determined, and it is difficult for me to imagine that during the offensive the movement will make concessions to Tel Aviv.
Mourning those killed in the Rafah bombing
AP
© Fatima Shbair
— What consequences could the Israeli offensive on Rafah lead to? Will Tel Aviv worsen relations with Egypt and the United States?
Middle East specialist, expert of the Russian International Affairs Council Elena Suponina:
“First of all, we can talk about another round of escalation of violence and a large number of new civilian casualties. In addition, Tel Aviv will seriously worsen relations with Cairo, even to the point of severing diplomatic relations.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has already published a message in which it quite clearly expressed its attitude towards the Israeli operation. Cairo is categorically against it because an IDF offensive would cause a mass crossing of the border by Palestinian refugees. Currently, Egypt is not ready to accept 1.4 million people. However, I doubt that Netanyahu will abandon his plans to create a buffer zone.
The operation will also deepen differences between Netanyahu and the Biden administration. On the eve of the presidential elections, the White House does not want to excessively aggravate the situation in the Middle East, thus bringing closer the prospect of the US being drawn into the conflict.
However, Netanyahu will not listen to shouts from Washington. Of course, such behavior by Tel Aviv will not lead to a break in allied relations. Here it is rather appropriate to say that the United States has lost its previous volume of influence not only in the Middle East, but also on its allies in the region.
Military expert Ivan Konovalov:
— The operation in Rafah could end in failure for Israel. Please note that the IDF never made any real significant gains in other areas of Gaza. These areas are still predominantly controlled by Hamas.
Israel relies on air missile and bomb strikes, but they often result in destruction of residential areas. There is no point in speculating that Israel is about to take Rafah and thereby crush Hamas.
With its actions, Israel is only aggravating the situation and strengthening the Palestinians’ determination to resist Tel Aviv’s military pressure. The fight against the IDF will definitely continue, and Israeli infantrymen will not feel safe if they enter Rafah.
In the West and in the United States they pretend to be concerned about the fate of the Palestinians and defiantly try to pull Netanyahu back. But such remarks are pure hypocrisy. None of the Western countries imposed sanctions or threatened Israel with any consequences for war crimes.
Expert of the Center for the Near and Middle East of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Fedorova:
— The main consequence of the Israeli operation will be the mass death of civilians in Rafah. Netanyahu’s priority is not a hostage deal or truce negotiations. Apparently, the Israeli Prime Minister has set a course for the complete destruction or squeezing of the residents of Gaza outside the enclave.
This brutal policy is carried out with the aim of occupying the Palestinian enclave, and it must be recognized that it is supported by the US leadership. Yes, there are differences between Netanyahu and Biden. But they are not fundamental and are most likely caused by the fact that the American president simply does not want to spoil his reputation in the eyes of the Muslim community of the United States before the elections.