Israel has announced plans to launch a full-scale offensive on the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza strip, claiming it is the only way to “completely destroy” Hamas. But according to former French military officer and author Guillaume Ancel, a large-scale military operation in the city that is now host to half of Gaza’s population is of no strategic interest. In his analysis, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s only goal is to make the Palestinian enclave “uninhabitable”.
Should new negotiations fail, the prospect of a military ground offensive in overcrowded Rafah raises the worst fears for the trapped Palestinian refugees. Nearly 30,000 people have so far been killed in the conflict, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
“In an area of 10 square kilometres, there are almost 1.5 million Palestinians, so this will necessarily lead to a massacre of the civilian population,” says Hamel. “Attacking the town of Rafah, where two-thirds of Gaza’s population is now squeezed, would mean committing carnage,” agrees Ancel.
The former soldier points out that the town has already been subjected to daily bombardment designed “to prepare the territory” for a ground attack. On Thursday, fresh Israeli bombardment of the city flattened a mosque and destroyed homes in what residents called one of their worst nights yet, killing at least 97 people and wounding 130 others in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s health authorities. Most victims were still under rubble or in areas rescuers could not reach.
Hamas can stop that by releasing the hostages and surrendering. Easy.
Last time Lebanon tried that israel genocided and raped everyone. And cut pregnant women open.
Genocided and raped everyone in Lebanon? Lebanon must have ceased to exist as a country right?
Wtf, how Israel’s has already killed most of them likely, Israel gives two shits about getting hostages back or they would have traded them earlier for the children in Israel prisons
Israel traded hundreds of people for 1 soldier, they do care about their civilians that’s why they are fighting a war against the most evil regime on earth currently (right after Iran, Syrian Assad and Hezbollah), but you don’t reward hostage taking with negotiations because it will only encourage that behavior. Israel did it with Shalit, which encouraged Hamass to take even more hostages, knowing full well that that is Israel’s weakness. This time, Hamass gets fucked in the ass for taking hostages so bad they’re gonna squeel like a piggy, and don’t ever think about taking hostages again.
The offered a deal to release the hostages if there’s a ceasefire and Israel rejected it. Israel doesn’t care about the hostages, they care about ethnic cleansing
Yeah “offered” a deal when Hamass got their asses fucked so much it stated bleeding. They want an unconditional full ceasefire which ain’t gonna happen buddy. Full ceasefire only when Hamass releases the hostages, surrenders all weapons and agrees to end their almost 20 year old tyrannical and terror based rule on Gazans.
You (Hamass) attacked on Oct 7 knowing full well that the opposite side was gonna rip you and your family a new one, now bear the consequences.
Yeah let’s just ignore the whole occupation and the brutal daily violence used to maintain it for over five decades
Wait, didn’t Gazans have free elections in 2005/6 when they elected Hamass? So they are ruled by their own government they chose. Or are Hamass terrorists and usurpers? Then Israel is doing Palestinians a favor by getting rid of Hamass tyrants for them, right? Why did Egypt not declare Gaza a free Palestinian state last time it occupied it? Why did Jordan not do the same for West Bank?
If your great-great-great grandfather occupied my land am I allowed to rape your mother and sisters? You won’t object too much if I also kill you first, right? After all I’m only resisting the occupation.
