Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday to launch a ground attack on Rafah “with or without” a deal with Hamas.
Speaking at a meeting with the families of the hostages, Netanyahu said that Israel had begun evacuating Palestinian civilians from Rafah, his office said.
“We will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there, with or without an agreement, in order to achieve a complete victory,” he said.
Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. Rafah is the southernmost city of Gaza, where about 1.2 million Palestinians have sought refuge.
He made the remarks as Israeli and Hamas negotiators were in Egypt-brokered talks on a ceasefire agreement for the nearly seven-month conflict in Gaza, which would secure the release of the hostages, Xinhua reported.
