While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly indicated that he is willing to carry out ground operations in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, there have been a number of voices from the European Union and other countries' leaders expressing concern about the casualties of residents.
At a Cabinet meeting on the 17th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, ``We will not bow to pressure. We will begin a ground operation in Rafah to eliminate Hamas,'' and announced plans for a ground operation in Rafah in the south, where nearly 1.5 million evacuees live. We have repeatedly emphasized our commitment to take the next step.
Against this backdrop, on the 17th, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with German Chancellor Scholz, who was visiting Israel.
At a press conference after the meeting, Prime Minister Scholz emphasized the protection of civilians, saying, ``Military logic should be taken into consideration, but humanitarian considerations should also be taken into account'' regarding ground operations against Rafah.
In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, ``We will do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties and maximize the necessary humanitarian assistance,'' indicating his stance of consideration to minimizing civilian casualties. I showed it.
Meanwhile, on the 17th in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, President Sisi met with the chairman of the European Union (EU) and the leaders of five member states.
At a press conference after the meeting, President Sisi said he "agreed with his leaders in categorically rejecting any military operation in Rafah by the Israeli military."
EU Commissioner von der Leyen also insisted that "we are all extremely concerned about the risk that a large-scale attack in Rafah poses to defenseless civilians."
Leading Israeli media outlets such as Haaretz are reporting that an Israeli negotiating team is expected to depart for Qatar on the 18th regarding the suspended fighting and hostage release negotiations.