Netanyahu: Absolute evil cannot be defeated by leaving it alone in Rafah (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his intention to launch a ground operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, despite American warnings and demands from various parties to avoid carrying out the operation, which may result in huge human losses.

Netanyahu said, "We will enter Rafah and achieve comprehensive victory," and pledged to eliminate Yahya Sinwar, head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza.

He added - in his speech yesterday, Sunday, in front of a number of military police soldiers on the occasion of the celebration of the so-called Jewish holiday of Purim - that "absolute evil cannot be defeated by leaving it alone in Rafah."

On more than one occasion, Netanyahu claimed that Rafah is the "last stronghold" of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, which Israel has besieged for 17 years and has been waging a devastating war since last October 7.

Netanyahu's statements came despite increasing warnings issued by the United States, which provides Israel with the strongest military, intelligence, and diplomatic support since the beginning of the war.

US Vice President Kamala Harris said, "I do not rule out that there will be American consequences for Israel if it proceeds with the invasion of Rafah."

She added, "The United States made clear to Israel in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be wrong, noting that it studied the maps and found that there is no place for a million and a half people to go."

For weeks, regional and international warnings have been mounting about the repercussions of the possible invasion of Rafah, where there are about 1.4 million displaced people who were forced by the Israeli army to move to the region claiming that it is safe.

Humanitarian catastrophe

The latest warnings came from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, who spoke during a press conference at the Egyptian Al-Arish Airport yesterday, about a clear international consensus that any ground attack on the city of Rafah will cause a humanitarian catastrophe.

In turn, French President Emmanuel Macron escalated his tone towards Netanyahu, affirmed his “firm opposition” to the Israeli attack on Rafah, and warned that “the forced transfer of residents constitutes a war crime.”

Macron informed Netanyahu - during a phone call - of his intention to submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an “immediate and sustainable ceasefire,” stressing the need for Israel to open “without delay and without conditions all existing land crossings with the Gaza Strip.”

On the other hand, the Hamas movement considered that Netanyahu’s insistence on invading the city of Rafah represented a “defiance” of all international warnings.

The movement explained - in a statement on the Telegram platform - that “Netanyahu continues to use religious rhetoric to achieve his political goals by escalating the war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip, and Netanyahu’s confirmation of his intention to carry out his crime in Rafah is in defiance of all international positions, which warn against any military operation in the city.”

It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation army has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, which left tens of thousands of civilians martyred and wounded, most of them women and children, in addition to an unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies